Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook
by Son Rhandi
Summary: Since the big blue dude is my all time favorite member of the Ginyu Force, I felt obligated to write a fic about him. A multi-chapter fic about Berter's past before/during the time he was with the Ginyu Force. (*COMPLETE*)
1. Part 1

(**Disclaimer:** DBZ is property of its respective holders. Blah.)

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook ****

By Son Rhandi

Part 1 

* * *

Berter gazed out the violet-tinted windows of the main headquarters on Freeza Planet No. 79, watching what seemed like an endless amount of stars. He seemed a bit depressed these past few days, as if a string of sadness was tugging at his heart. The blue gian dragged out a sigh as he folded his arms behind his back and turned to walk down the long winding corridor. Suddenly, he felt a warm something place itself on his shoulder. Berter bolted around with a fist drawn back, ready to defend himself if need be. An orange and white blur stepped back.

"Whoa! No worries, man. It's only me."

__

Oh. It was just Jeice. "Sorry, man. Don't know what came over."

"Think nothing of it," said Jeice, with an accent that would be regarded as something near Scottish on Earth. "I forgot how instinctive you become when you're suddenly touched like that. You really should take that armor off. We **are** off-duty, y'know."

The corners of Berter's mouth turned upward slightly. "Yeah, I know. But I feel strong in this, like I can beat anyone that comes my way. I feel kinda big, y'know?"

It was kind of hard for Jeice to understand. After all, the 9-foot tall lizard-being practically towered over his orange teammate, not to mention most of Frieza's soldiers. How much bigger could he possibly feel? 

"Big....riiiight.....Anyway, you feelin' okay? You've been moping around for the past three days now. Is anything wrong?"

Berter's bumpy brows lowered. "Nothing you would understand."

Jeice ran a gloved hand through his long white hair. "Maybe, but it might help if you talked it out. I'm right here."

"I don't feel up to talking right now. Maybe later."

"Okay, if you ever feel up to it, I'll just be in the rec. room with Recoom." He raised his hand and gave his blue comrade a cheery Ginyu goodbye pose, then headed for the rec. room. Berter placed a hand atop his tan-scaled head and strolled down the corridor Jeice had come though to his quarters.

__

Jeice.... thought Berter. _You are a good partner and a good friend, but there are some things I couldn't tell even you about._

Berter halted when he realized he had reached his destination. He punched in the code to enter his vacinity and was successful in doing so. Once inside, Berter pulled his armor up over his head and tossed it to the linoleum floor, making a loud 'thunk' as it hit. He flopped on his giant bed and let out an anguished sigh. He put his hands behind his head and looked to the cream-colored ceiling.

__

I was hoping to forget it, but it seems I can't. It's been five years....since it happened.

And with that, Berter's thoughts drift back before the days of the Ginyu and Frieza, before any of this business with the planet trade, back to the days on his home planet.

* * *

"Get up and fight, you wimp!"

"Leave me alone, Jerin!" 

"What are you gonna do about it, Berter? Bleed all over my fist like you did last week? Ha ha! This is adulthood training, fool! Either stand and fight or be a child forever!"

Berter's origins take him far back to his home planet of Hachuurui. Hachuurui was like Earth, as far as atmosphere goes, except for the fact that the skies were orange-red in the day, and faded to a deep purple at night. Otherwise, it wasn't much to look at. The planet was mostly desert and plateaus, with a few man-made oases here or there were the oceans and rivers were too far off for water, but was valued for its rich mineral deposits in the mountainous regions. There, he belonged to a race of reptillianesque people know as the Tokage. They were much larger in size than most aliens of that sector of space, not to mention speed and strength, but much smaller in number. On every Tokage child's tenth year (equivalent to about a sixteen year-old's time on Earth), their nurturers would escort them to a camp (the location varied on what region of the planet they lived) for adulthood training--males to one camp, females to another. After four years of training, young males were eligible to participate in the Regional championships to compete for females (for rather obvious reasons), and only ten of the strongest and fastest Tokage males were allowed to claim females and take their place to continue their glorious race. 

A bruised young Berter picked himself up off the dusty earth as Jerin turned and walked 

away. He touched a hand to the cut on his cheek and winced. "That stupid Jerin. Always picking fights with me. I don't see why I have to be here. I don't want a female. I don't want to take a mate. 

He dusted his clothing off--a black sleeveless tunic with white Piccolo-type pants--and headed for his barrack to await instructions from one of the Riizards, the 'counselors' of the camp. Upon his arrival, Berter was met with a friendly face. 

"'Ey yo, Berter! How goes it?" A husky young Tokage male greeted. Berter smiled.

"Tage, how goes it every day?" He pointed to the cut on his left cheek and bruises along 

his arms. 

"Yeah, same here." Tage rolled up his left pant leg to reveal numerous cuts and scrapes. Berter lowers his brow. "You too, huh?"

"Yep. It just wouldn't be the day if he didn't slap me around a bit," Tage grinned. "You should really get that cut taken care of. You don't want to risk getting it infected, do you?"

Berter thought about it for a second or two. "Nah, I think it'll be alright. If anything, you should take care of that leg. You're at more risk than I am, Tage."

"No, I'm fine. I've already cleaned them, and they've already started to heal nicely. 

Come on in and I'll clean you up. You know the Riizards look down on shabbiness." 

He looked down at his tunic and pants. Seeing that they were a bit dirty, decided to go along with Tage's offer. "Fine, if you insist."

Tage was Berter's one and only true friend in the adulthood camp. They both could relate to each other, mostly due to the fact that they were both picked on by Jerin, the biggest (and most arrogant) Tokage trainee in the camp. Both Berter and Tage were both considered the 'losers' of the place. Berter was tall but a tad on the scrawny side. While the rest of the males had already broadened noticeably, poor 

Berter had yet to fill out. Tage was just the opposite. Although he could perform just as well as the rest of them, Tage was a bit husky, and top physical appearance was a big thing with Tokage males, so he definitely was teased. But despite all this, the two of them got by.

"All right!! All Tokage of the tenth and eleventh year report to the fire circle immediately!!" The shout of a Riizard rang throughout the barracks. "I repeat, all Tokage of the tenth and eleventh year report to the fire circle immediately!!" 

Berter, Tage, and the other Tokage children rushed to their instructed location, the fire circle--the center field of the male adulthood camp. All of the boys gathered round the large circle, awaiting the Riizard to speak. The Riizard cast his eyes on all of the trainees. After looking them over, he cleared his throat and said, "Future Tokage men, stand and pay respects to the head Riizard of the plateau region's male adulthood camp! Give your salutes to Miruku!"

The young Tokage did as told. They all rose as the one called Miruku walked onto a platform a few feet away from the circle. Miruku appeared to be in his mid-forties, which was considered old by Tokage 

standards. His skin was a pale blue and possessed a long scar, which started at his right brow and ran off the left side of his face. He turned to the large group of Tokage boys. Each boy stuck his right arm out in 

front, the two forefingers of the right hand pointed toward the head Riizard to form sort of a backwards 'L', then touched the shoulder with the opposite hand. Miruku nodded his head in approval.

"Please be seated."

And so they sat.

"Future Tokage men, --and Riizards, too-- what brought be before you today is an act of importance. I have received a message from the Hachuurui Leaders that brings me a great disappointment. Apparently, this planet is now in open trade with the alliances of a man call Freeza, and it seems some of your nurturers are being relocated to the mountainous regions to assist in mining. In light of this event, all the camps have been ordered to cut back the training spans from four years to two years, so that means in the next four 

months, those of you who will not be relocated will be returning to your homes."

It took all Berter possessed not to jump up and cheer. In only four months time Berter would be away from this camp and away from Jerin. He allowed himself a tiny smirk of satisfaction, and continued his attention to the head Riizard.

"Arrangements for the nurturers for those of the twelfth and thirteenth years have already been made, so if any of you have made any sort of friendship bond with members of those groups, you may want to wish them farewell after this. But some good does come of the change," Miruku raised a taloned finger. "This means we can up the final trials."

Berter cringed at that. He had heard stories of the final trials from those of the thirteenth year group. The Riizards would split up the senior age group into several smaller groups, (how many depending 

on the number of Tokage in the age group)and escort them to the Razher Outlands of the plateaus--A dry, dusty place with little water, where beasts resembling dinosaurs and wild 'birds' roamed. Each group would receive a map of all the surrounding oases in that area. Their task was to spend two months in the Outlands, living off only what it provided, then successfully find their way back to the camp.

"And that also means," he continued. "that Miruku's Challenge can be initiated." The group of young Tokage all gain questioning looks on their faces. Miruku raised a brow and turned to the Riizard.

"You didn't tell them of my challenge?"

The Riizard looked back at him blankly. "I did not know it would come so soon, sir. 

Had this change not taken place, I would have told them ahead of time."

Miruku turns to face the tenth year group, not bothering to say any more to the Riizard.

"My challenge is a simple one, and takes place the same time as the trials. You will be escorted to the Outlands by a Riizard and must spend **three** months there. Of course, you'll not be in a group of your fellow members. No, this is something you do alone. You will spend one month living off the land, and the third month you spend getting back to camp. As for the second month....." Miruku hesitated. "During the final two weeks of the second month, you will track down a Razher dino, kill it, and bring the body back with you. And you MUST have some sort of scar that proves you've tangled with the beast. If you present to me the body of one of the beasts, but have no wound of sorts, then I'll assume it was already dead when you found it, and you will not be eligible to enter the Regional Championships. So, who here is up for the challenge?" 

Silence. Even Jerin, in his constant self-assured state, had to think twice about this one. Those Razher beasts were not ones to be messed with. Miruku was displeased.

"Come now! Who here will be a man and accept Miruku's Challenge?"

Slowly but surely, a blue hand rose. "I will, sir."

Miruku's face lights up. "Excellent! Come now… Stand up, boy! Tell me your name!"

"I am known as Berter, and I accept your challenge."


	2. Part 2

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 2

* * *

"So you're really gonna do it?"

"I said I was, so I guess I have to."

Berter lay in his bed, talking to Tage of his accepting Miruku's challenge. They usually conversed before the Riizards gave the order to retire for the day.

"The trials begin in a week, right?" Berter asked his friend. "How are the teams divided?"

"Lesse...." Tage thought for a moment. "There's 25 of us, excluding you, so they'll probably divide us up in five groups of five."

"Always the mathematician, eh, Tage?" Berter joked. Tage scoffed.

"Simple mathematics. Anyway, about this challenge, just be careful when the time comes. You're going to be out there all alone with no one to guard your back."

"Thank you for reminding me." Berter turned over on his side, facing Tage. "You yourself be careful. Even with four others with you, the Razher Outlands are still a dangerous place."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Touching. You two should write a performance peace," said a familiar voice. Berter and Tage turned their attentions to the doorway to see Jerin leaning up against it. He then entered the barracks.

"Berter, you don't **really** think you can face up to Miruku's challenge, do you?" Said Jerin in mock tone.

"If I didn't think I could do it, I would not have accepted," Berter replied calmly.

"Still, you only **think** you can. That doesn't mean you'll actually succeed. And I seriously doubt you will."

"Hey, shut up!" Tage said angrily. "If Berter says he can do it, then he can do it! What's it to you whether or not he'll succeed? You didn't even accept!" Jerin blustered up at this remark.

"Don't you start with me, chubby!"

"Chubby, am I?! Why, I'll--"

"Tage."

He turned to Berter, who placed an arm out in front of Tage, as if to say, 'Stay back. I can handle this.' "Despite what you think, Jerin," said Berter. "I will succeed in Miruku's 

Challenge. You can count on it."

Jerin was about to respond, but the sound of the Riizards' ordering all Tokage to retire interrupted him. Jerin growled.

"Lucky. But just to forewarn you, you, Berter, and your chubby little friend are going to get it good in fight training tomorrow." And with that, Jerin left to retire to his own barracks. Berter, wearing a stern look on his face, simply sighed and got into his bed.

* * *

One week passed, and it was time for all Tokage in training to begin their final trials, with the exception of Berter, who had accepted Miruku's challenge and would be off on his own. All the groups were divided, and were ready to start their journey. Berter waited outside his barrack for his escort to the Razher Outlands. He watched those of the eleventh year age group lining up with their Riizard escorts and chuckled a bit.

__

Five of five, just as Tage predicted, thought Berter.

"You Berter?"

Berter looked up to see a behemoth of a Riizard looking down at him. He stood gaping at the Riizard. He was huge even for Tokage standards. The average height for a Tokage male was about (in U.S. measurements) 8' 5", but this guy was easily pushing 11'. The giant narrowed his red eyes.

"You got some kind of hearing problem? I asked if you're the one called Berter."

He shook his head. "Y...Yeah. I'm him.

"I'm your escort, Mesan. Take this and let's go." Mesan tossed Berter a knife, which he carefully ties to the belt holding his tunic together. Mesan began walking to the outside of the camp, while Berter trotted to keep up.

* * *

It was a 3-hour run from the camp to the Razher Outlands. Even with the speed the Tokage are known for, it still took a while to reach the desired location. Berter, tired from the long trip, wanted to rest. Mesan had his share of weariness, too, but showed no signs of it. After all, he was the one who had to spend 6 more hours getting back. Both Berter and Mesan sat at the oasis to rest up before each had to do what needed to be done. Berter dipped his hands into the cool water and drank what amount was cupped in them. Mesan 

pulled out a tin bottle from a leather pouch and drank its contents. Berter looked at him curiously.

"What is that you're drinking?" He asked. Mesan wiped the sides of his mouth free of what liquid had trickled down them. "Blood wine," (a mixture of the blood drained from the 'birds' the Tokage hunted for food, and an assortment of fermented fruit juices) he said gruffly. "Want some?" Berter shook his head 'no'.

"Come on! This stuff helps you grow! How do you think I go to be so tall?"

"Genetics....?" said Berter with a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice. Mesan narrowed his eyes. "Whatever," he said before taking another gulp of the wine.

"When I was in camp, I took Miruku's Challenge too, y'know."

Berter looked up. "Really?" Mesan nodded. "Yeah. 'cept I didn't attend the camp that 

you are. I was from the forests, between the west end of the Plateaus and the east start of the Razher Outlands, so I attended the male adulthood camp closest to there." 

"But then why are you working as a Riizard here in the eastern section of the 

Plateaus?" Berter asked curiously.

"I can still remember when Miruku came to our camp and told us about his challenge," 

Mesan continued, ignoring Berter's question. "'Who here will be a man and accept my challenge?' He said. Back then I was a foolhardy young guy and thought that would be a good way to get out of camp… and away from the guy who always picked on me."

__

Hmm. Sounds like me and Jerin, thought Berter.

"Anyhow, I accepted, and a week later, I was escorted to Razher Outlands, just like you. The first month passed rather quickly,and the first couple of weeks of the second month went just as fast. But on the final 

week of that month I encountered a sail-backed Razher dino. I had successfully killed the creature and dragged it back to camp. When I presented it to Miruku on the day of my return, he congratulated me and 

asked to see my scar to prove it, I told him I had none. He was very displeased, and accused me of finding it already dead. So I was ineligible to participate in the Regional Championships and sent into exile 

from my sector. I'll never forget.....the hurt look on my mother's face when she had to see me off....." Berter winced at that.

"I really did kill that thing. I was just being careful, that's all...." Mesan trailed off. "But don't you disgrace yourself and your family like I did, kid. You go and kill one of those Razher dinos fair and square and make your nurturers proud. You got me?"

Berter nodded slowly. "Yeah. I got you."

"Good." Mesan reached into his back pocket and pulled out a rolled up sheet of paper. 

"Here's the map that tells you the locations of all the things in this area you'll need to know about. I've gotta get back to the camp. You take care of yourself, Berter, and remember what I told you."

"I will. Good-bye, Riizard Mesan."

Mesan flashed a toothy grin, turned back the way he and Berter came, and began to run with great speed. Berter looked on as the giant Riizard Mesan ran off, disappearing over the horizon. Now not only would he 

have to complete the challenge for himself, but for Mesan as well. Berter sighed as he scanned his surroundings. They weren't much, from what he saw. A few scattered trees, the oasis, and, of course, an outstretch of earth and rock.

__

Welcome to your new home, Berter thought ruefully.


	3. Part 3

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 3

* * *

__

What a strange place this is, young Berter thought as he walked through the dense bush. Growing up in the plateaus, Berter had only seen a few flightless fowl and small dinosaurs-type creatures, but here in 

the bush, there was a variety of different animals. He would have to learn all about this new place--its 

creatures, its land, its everything--if he was to survive for the time being. 

After finding his way out of the dense bush, Berter found himself at a river valley, at which several cliffs were overlooking. _An alternate source of water. Good. And if I climb one of those cliffs, I should be able to see the whole area._

And so Berter scaled the cliff, wishing he could just run up it rather than having to climb. He let out an exasperated sigh when he finally reached the top. "Phew......That was quite a trek....But, what a view...!"

Berter crimson eyes widened as they took in all the sights there were to see. Several other rivers, 

outstretched field of blue-green grass, herds of three-horned Razher dinos, several thickets of the 

sort, and even some mountains over the horizon.

"And, hey," Berter said as he shielded his eyes from the blazing sun. "I can even see the start of the 

Mountainous Regions.....It doesn't look all that far from here, but I know better than to try."

He made his descent down the opposite side of the cliff, which gradually tapered down to ground-level. On the way down, his attention was caught by several loud and animalistic screeches. Berter turned his head to the left to see what the source of the noise was. Off in the distance, two sycthe-clawed Razher dinos (think of them as raptors with miniature sycthe-like claws) had torn out the side of one of an ostrich-like creature 

and were beginning to tear into it mercilessly. The young Tokage cringed at the sight.

"Sycthe-claws........It'd be my death if I ever crossed the path of one of that breed." Sighing, Berter plopped 

down on his rear and takes a look at the map given to him my the Riizard Mesan. An old map, it was tattered along the edges and the paper had already begun to change shades, but still, it served its purpose.

"Let me see here......" He scanned the map to find any sign of his geographical location. "Ah, here's where I began," he said as he placed a finger on the starting point. "And there are several small drawings of rock 

formations here." He trailed his finger over to that area of the map. "Good. I'm not that far off from where 

I started, then--" The rumbling of his stomach interrupted all other speech.

"Ah, I am hungry. I haven't eaten anything since early this morn. Where would be the closest place in which to find food?"

Berter climbed his way back up to the top of the cliff and scanned the surroundings. Upon spying a wide river, he allowed a smile of satisfaction to creep across his face.

"Of course! A river! I can fish for my food!" 

Laughing happily, Berter backed up a bit for a good running start, then with great speed, zoomed and leapt 

off the cliff's edge, doing a few arial frontflips before finishing with a dive and promptly landing in the river, which, lucky for him, happened to be very deep. A few minutes later, he emerged from the water with his tunic tied around his neck in a convienient sort of knapsack (like so many of our anime bandits) and waded his way back to land. 

"Ah, good catch!" Berter, after moving a considerable distance away from the river, untied his tunic-turned-knapsack revealing about twenty to thirty mid-sized fishes inside. He began to tear into the fish one-by-one, ripping the flesh with the large and fairly sharp fangs of his kind, then tossing the orts to one side, until all had been devoured. Giving off first a long and exaggerated sigh of content, the young Tokage wrung out his tunic (as well as the rest of his clothing) and continued along his way.

hr

"This place is a vast and strange one, indeed," said Berter to himself. The Hachuurui skies were already 

blanketed with a deep hue of purple which was a sure sign that night was coming. "Three months of desert and dangerous beasts ...I'll have to make it, somehow. Not to mention keep count of days gone by if I'm to track a dino and make it back to the camp on time." 

He watched as the flames of the fire he had set flicker about as if they were dancing. It gave Berter more of a relaxed feeling, and thought about Tage and their nightly conversations. Berter sighed as he lay near the 

fire, settling for day's retirement. Glancing over to one side, he spied a small rock. Raising a brow 

slightly, Berter got up to his knees and reached to pick it up. With his free hand, he trailed his finger 

in the dirt, creating a large circle. He then placed the small rock in the upper left portion of the dirt 

circle.

"And that makes Day 1," said Berter with a yawn. And with that, he settled down for a nice and peaceful slumber, until the dawn of a new day.


	4. Part 4

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 4

* * *

Many days passed since Berter had arrived in the Rahzer Outlands. He had gotten used to his new yet monotonous life. Day in, day out, all the same sights: Sands, sun, trees, and the usual wildlife. Yet he learned a little more with each passing day.

".....And this makes.....day 42." Berter wiped the sweat from his brow. "Finally.....one month completed."

A lot had happened over the course of one Hachuurui month. Berter's body had finally managed to catch up to his growing intellegence. He had filled out quite considerably, some noticable muscles shining through, and was beginning to develop a different key than before. (In other words, his voice was starting to change) Also, he had turned into a skilled hunter, setting elaborate traps for prey he desired, whenever he desired such. But in any case, two months still remained.

"Oh, man.....I can't believe it. One month gone....I thought it'd never arrive. And the next month starts tommorow. So that means...." Berter stretched and let out a short growl. "I have to track a Dino. But there haven't been very many around lately..." 

He flopped on his back and sighed. "I'm begininning to wonder if I'll be able to complete this challenge..." Berter flopped on his back and stared at the stars glistening over head, his eyes darting between each star. "Hmm. Constellations......"

Like Earthlings, the Tokage, too, had placed shapes in stars, naming them for their gods. "And on this part of the planet, most of them are visible. Let's see.....there's...Gorgon, the Dragon and the God of Fire," he says while pointing it out. "Who else is up here.....We have Mano, the Sea Serpent and God of the Waters, and then there's Cotta, Goddess of Green and Fertility...."

Berter paused for a moment. _Goddess of Fertility....Taking a mate.....Hmm...._ The prospect of having a female was becoming more and more appealing to Berter these days. He gave out a little sigh, wondering what his mate would look like, considering the fact that the only female her ever saw was his mother. And who wants to think that way about their mother? He shook his head free of such thoughts and eased into a light sleep.

"Okay. Today's the day I track a Rahzer dino." Berter said while cleaning the knife given to him by the Riizard, Mesan. "But first, some breakfast." He ran to the usual place: The dense bush to gather some fruits and to the river to fill his canteen full of water. While coming up to the river, Berter noticed a small group of three mock bird dinos (kind of like ostriches) on the other side drinking the river water. Slowly, he waltzed up to the water and carefully kneeled to fill his canteen so as not to be noticed.

__

How perfect! He thought. _Mock birds! Easy to kill and light enough to carry. And their claws are just sharp enough to scar, so this should work out better than expected!_

Berter waited until all of the mock birds finished quenching their thirst and went along their way before tracking them at a safe distance. He followed them for many hours, not once being noticed by the mock bird dinos. After what seemed like an eternity of walking for Berter, night fell and the small group of dinos retired until the next morn.

"Well, it's about time," said Berter, resting behind a bush, in a not-so-pleasant mood. "It looks like this tracking business won't be as easy as I had anticipated." 

Many days passed and many miles passed. The group of mock birds were now an official herd, and Berter, who had soured in disposition, was still in pursuit of his elusive quarry. _Twenty-one days....It's been half a month now. And, now, I think it's about time I made my move._ Berter lay on a small cliff over looking the herd of mock birds. The sun was setting, and the dinos were about to retire. That's when he made his move.

Berter stood, backed up a considerable distance from the cliff's edge, then ran as fast as he could, jumping off the cliff. He landed promptly on his feet with a loud **THUD**, he charged at the herd, letting out a short but loud roar: first big mistake. The mock bird dinos looked up to see the source of the noise. Berter drew back his fist in which the knife was held, and as soon as he was close enough, slashed at one of the dinos: second big mistake. He missed, tumbling right in the middle of a herd of some very displeased Razher dinos surrounding him completely. 

The mock bird dinos tried to intimidate him by making low growls and gnashing their teeth at Berter, but to no avail; Berter only gave them the same in return. Then, from one of the dinos came a low, gutteral sound. The rest of the mock birds stepped back as the biggest mock bird dino stepped forward, teeth bared and tail lashing. 

__

Uh-oh, thought Berter. _He must be their dominant male._ Suddenly, the mock bird charged at Berter, who barely managed to dodge it. The dino turned around and charged again, this time catching Berter in the back. He tumbled his way to the sidelines, where another dino kicked him right back into the center with the dominant male. All the mock bird dinos began to unleash short roars, almost as if they were cheering the fight on. Berter stood and used the speed his race was graced with and literally ran circles around his opponent, confusing him greatly. And before the dominant male could even realize it, Berter had stopped running, jumped up, and stabbed it in the head. The dino stood there with his mouth hanging open for a bit. Then, it's eyes rolled up into the back of his head, fell over, and died. The rest of the herd took a look at the body of their leader and swiftly ran away. 

Berter stood there panting, admiring his work, when it hit him. "Blast it... I forgot I needed a scar. What am I supposed to do now?" 

Just then, a swift and unmerciful pain struck Berter's back. He fell to the ground, writhing. A roar that sounded much like that of an Oozaru was given off right above him. Berter managed to turn on his side and see the creature from which the sound came. It was something he had hoped to never come across, but, unfortunately, he did. Sure enough, it was a sycthe-clawed Razher dino. A very hungry, very angry, scythe-clawed Razher dino. Apparentely, it was extremely upset over the loss of such easy prey, and although there was freshly killed meat right next to it, sycthe-claws do not eat anything that wasn't killed by themselves. But it wasn't about to go hungry just yet......

Berter quickly pulled the knife out of the dead mock bird's crainium, and rolled out of the way as the sycthe-claw plowed its powerful jaws toward Berter, although it hurt his back greatly. The sycthe-claw ran toward him as he staggered up to standing position. Once again, Berter darted out of its way. Berter lept at the beast, who promptly struck him back to the dirt with a backlash from its tail. Before Berter had the chance to get back up on his feet, the sycthe-claw raced toward him, and lept up into the air, lunging itself at the wounded Tokage. Reacting on pure instinct alone, Berter pushed himself off the grond and plowed the knife directly into the heart of the beast. The sycthe-claw paused for a moment to look at the object that was about to cause its end. In an almost sad display, the dino throws its head back to give a final roar, then falls on its side, dead.

Berter just stood there for a minute, staring at his now dead enemy. Breathing heavily, he fell onto his back, which only caused him greater pain, but he didn't care. He layed there sprawled out on the ground, just trying to get his swiftly beating heart to calm down a notch. It had been a long and difficult time for him, indeed, but it would finally be over. He could finally end all the nonsense of the challenge and return to camp. To see his friend, Tage, and return home to his nurterers. But at the moment, he wasn't thinking about any such things. All that he was thinking of now was sleep..... 

Glorious, glorious sleep. 


	5. Part 5

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 5

* * *

"Berter, where are you?"

Twenty-three more days had passed now. The other Tokage trainees had already returned from their trials, each awaiting the final two months of traning in the Adulthood camp. Tage, who had grown taller but not much slimmer, was gazing up at the night sky, awaiting the return of his comrade.

"What are you doing, you little idiot..?"

Tage turned to see a not-so-pleasant Jerin standing in the doorway of the barrack. "Why haven't you retired? Too busy calling to your worthless friend as if you were his mother?"

Tage shot him a glare, but said nothing and turn back to the window-sized space in the wall. "What's wrong? Not man enough to give me a response?" Jerin chuckled softly.

"And why haven't you retired, Jerin?" Tage asked with a sly grin. "Too busy pleasuring yourself to sleep?" 

Jerin's face turned a deeper shade of blue and promptly pulled Tage up by his shirt collar. "You ignorant 

little worm..! Just who do you think you're deaing with?!" Tage slapped his hand away.

"The only one here who is an ignorant worm is you, Jerin. Just an ignorant worm that nobody likes and 

nobody cares about." 

Jerin became very angered by this comment, and punched him in the gut. Tage did not flinch. Jerin squinted his crimson eyes and used his free fist to try and connect it to his face. Tage caught his fist just in time and began to crush it. Jerin recoiled in pain, although he didn't let it show.

"As you and your fist can tell," Tage started. "I've been building my defenses and sharpening my instincts 

in the past two months. So it wouldn't be very smart of you to try that again." Jerin simply growled and rubbed his sore wrist.

"You caught me off guard......" said Jerin while glaring coldly. "That's something that rarely happens. 

But don't expect it to happen again. Trick me once, shame on me. Trick me twice, shame on you. Don't think that I won't let this humiliation go unavenged. I'll get you back for this someday. Remember that."

And with that, Jerin exited the barrack and went back to his own to retire.

* * *

The next day, the young trainees of the adulthood camp went about the everyday goings of fight training, speed and endurance drills, and whatnot. Miruku had also dropped by to see how things were going at the camp. Everyone was going about their business, when a very loud sound--loud enough for all in that area to hear-- almost like roaring came from outside the front entrance of the camp. All of the young Tokage trainees came running to the gates while the Riizards and Miruku simply sauntered on up.

A tall and now well-developed Tokage wearing torn and tattered clothing came marching proudly dragging the carcass of a sycthe-clawed Rahzer dino along the dirt. Tage's eyes widened when he realized who it was.

"It's Berter! Berter's finally come back!" Tage leapt into the air happily and started towards him, but a 

very large hand held his shoulder back. 'Twas the Riizard, Mesan, shaking his head 'no', then jerking his 

head toward Miruku, who was trudging his way to Berter.Berter gave Miruku the appropriate salute, then 

presented his prize.

"Goodness," said Miruku after examining the carcass. "A sycthe-claw....You were very lucky to survive against something like that, boy. But where's your scar?"

Berter smirked, then turned his back to him, removing what was left of his tunic and revealing the long, deep mark the Rahzer dino had left. Miruku smiled and nodded approvingly. "Well now, it looks like today's a time to celebrate..! The one called Berter has successfully completed Miruku's Challenge!"

Cheers went up, and applause was given. Even Jerin had to clap a few times, though only to be polite. Deep 

down, he was furious. Tage was absolutely thrilled, but due more to the fact that Berter had come back alive rather than his achievement. The Riizard, Mesan wore a broad smile on his face and was applauding loudest of all.

"Hey, Berter," Mesan bellowed. Berter looked up to see the giant Riizard smiling at him. He said, "Thanks, 

kid." Then gave him the Tokage salute. Berter beamed and did the same, and walked with his friend by his 

side back to the barracks.

* * *

"Ah.....Let me get a good look at you. You've gotten tall. And filled out, too. You'll make some young 

female very happy."

"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself."

"Really? Even with this?" Tage lifted his hefty gut to prove his point. "Don't worry about that," Berter reassured him. "It's all muscle." Tage chuckled. 

"Yah. Jerin had to find out the hard way..."

"What? You fought him?" Berter was shocked. His friend was never known for exchanging blows outside the training field, so it was only natural that it would come as a surprise to him.

"No. He fought me. I merely defended myself against his offense."

"What were the two of you fighting about?"

Tage thought for a moment. "You know, I don't even remember, so it couldn't have been very important. But all that matters now is that my best friend is back and safe. .......Hey, Berter..?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I can come out as one of the Top Ten in the Regional Championship?"

"Perhaps. Everyone of us has a chance to make it. 

"Even me?" Tage looked at his comrade in earnest. Berter chuckled softly. "Yes, Tage, especially you. 

Why, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if you came out as one of the top five."

"Now you're just trying to be nice."

"I know. Sorry. But, in any case, there's always a chance to come out on top." Berter placed ahand on his best friend's shoulder. "So now, how many more days until we get out of here?" 

"Another 45. Just one more month, Berter." Tage turned away suddenly. "What's wrong?" Berter inquired. "You look sad."

Tage sighed. "It's just that....I don't really want to leave." Berter gaped.

"But why? What could possibly be here that would make you want to stay in this insufferable place?"

"Well, after all this is over and done with, and after the Region Championships, we won't see each other again."

Berter never thought of that. It was true. After the Regional Championships, it was highly unlikely that they would see each other again. They'd be off living their own separate lives. He, too, suddenly turned away.

"Berter..?" Tage called out softly. "Hey, come on. Talk to me. How do you feel?"

But he did not reply. Berter simply threw his blanket over his head and called it a day.


	6. Part 6

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 6

* * *

And so, as with all things, the final month of adulthood training has passed. All of the Tokage males, 

now officially adults, were lined up and awaiting their nurturers to see them back to their homes.

"So, I guess this is it, then."

"I suppose so. I'll miss you, Berter."

"And I, you. It will be another three months until we meet again, and only for two days during the Regional 

Championships."

"Don't remind me, Berter."

"Don't feel bad, Tage," Berter said while placing a hand on Tage's broad shoulder. "It's hard, I know, but 

our hearts will always be together."

"Hey, that's really nice. It's almost romantic when you think about it. Thanks, Berter." Tage smiled.

"It's nothing. Just a little saying I picked up back home."

"You must belong to a very poetic family." Berter chuckled. "Yes. My grandfather is a Shrine Chevalier, so I would very well have him to thank."

"Ah, the Shrine Chevalier: The passive keepers of the faith and heroic warriors of honor," said Tage in a 

very melodic tone.

"That was good," he commended. "Maybe you yourself should consider becoming a Chevalier."

"No, friend. My path lies on the life of a mathematician."

"More like on the path of a failure."

Berter drags out a sigh. "What do you want, Jerin...?"

"Look at the two of you. Prattling on and on like two agéd females. It's a wonder why you don't just take 

each other as mates the way you act." Berter and Tage glared but said nothing.

"And what is it to you as to how we interact, Jerin?" Tage inquired. Berter joined in.

"Yes, Jerin. What are we to you? Do you take a liking to Tage or myself? Or are you jealous because you have no friends?" Jerin winced at that remark but maintained his stature.

"'ey, Berter," Tage whispered. "That was kind of low."

"Yeah, but at least it shut him up." Suddenly, a pleasant feminine voice called out.

"Jerin! Hey, Jerin!!" Jerin's carmine eyes widened in delight. 

"Rico! My sister!" He began to laugh like a small child and waved his arms in the air, until a Riizard came up and gave him a good slap on the back of his head, telling him to stop acting so childish. Berter and Tage (along with all the other adult males) had to stifle their laughs.

Soon after, a few more adults came into sight. Then some more, and some more, and some more.....Like lemmings marching into the sea, the friends and families of all of the new adults came to greet and return their kinsmen to their homes.

"Berter! My little boy! Oh, I've missed you so much!" Look how you've grown! Ye, gods, but you're thin.....Have you been eating properly?"

"Now, dear, don't pester him. He's finally done with camp and probably just wants to go home."

"Aye, father. That I do." 

"Then, if your mother is all done falling all over ya, we'll be off." Berter's mother shot her husband an annoyed look but refrained from voicing anything.

"Well, alright then. Berter, hop up on this here rider dino so we can leave."

He does as instructed. Saddling up on what would be the equivalent of a horse on Earth, and looked behind him to get in a last 'good-bye' to his best friend. 

"So then, Tage, I guess I'll be seeing you..." But his farewell was drowned out by the vociferous belly laughs of Tage's husky father, who now had his son in a deathlock of a hug while his mother stood beside grinning. Berter chuckled inwardly at the sight.

"Berter, you ready?" Came the low-key voice from his father. "Er....Yeah." 

"Good. Then, let's go home."

Good-byes said, farewells made, Berter, as well as all of the other Tokage trainees returned with their nurturers to the places that they each called home.


	7. Part 7

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 7

* * *

"So, how's it feel to be home, Berter?" asked his father while nursing a mug of water. "It feels good, father," he replied appropriately. "I didn't realize how much I actually missed being here."

"You should have seen your mother, all in a tizzy about you comin' home. She really missed you, she did."

"And did you miss me, father..?" Berter looked to his father, hoping for the answer he so desired. His father looked him in the eyes and smiled, placing a hand on Berter's tan-scaled head.

"'Course I missed you. You're my son, remember? I think it would only be natural to regret the absence of my kid if he was gone for two years."

"Right. I'm sorry..." he apologized, feeling a bit sheepish. His father's merely struck a grin and left it at that.

"Hey, how is my little boy doing?" the pleasant voice of his mother sauntered in. "I've prepared a huge dinner for you, so I hope you're hungry."

"He's a man now. Stop referring to him as a little boy."

"I know, but he will always be my little boy." Berter's mother scooped him up inside her arms, placing his head to her reptilian bosom. He hadn't been so fussed over since he was a little boy. Mother was always best known for mollycoddling….

"Well, go in and fill up, Berter. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"What are we doing tomorrow, father?" He asked curiously.

"**You** will train. **I** will instruct."

__

You must be joking….. "But, dear," Berter's mother stepped in. "He just got back. Let him rest for a few days."

"I'm sorry, but that won't be happening. Berter only has three months to prepare, and I want to insure that he will be able to compete to carry on the bloodline. Don't you want grandchildren?"

"Well, of course I do, but--"

"No 'buts'. Now, Berter, go in and eat your fill, then get some rest."

"Yes, father." A little disappointed, Berter trudged inside. _Has anyone around here given a thought as to what I wanted? In from training, and back again. But there's really no use in complaining about it. I have to accept what is._

"Now, when I was your age, I didn't complain," His father started off. Berter knew where this was leading. "I knew better. I just did what my parents told me. Not like you kids today. No, sir. Always wanting to do things the easy way. That's what's wrong with the lot of you; no work ethic. But we'll fix that."

It was going to be a long three months.

* * *

Surprisingly, the three months passed like the fleeting wind. Berter ended up being much bigger and stronger than ever before. And just in time, too, for this was the day of the Regional Championships. He and his family arrived at the arena at which the Championship was being held.

"What a nice day for a battle," Berter's mother said.

"The skies are more red than usual around this time. They say it's a sign from the gods," His father spoke. "When Championship time comes around, the blood of our ancestors adds to the color in the skies, making them appear as a richer shade of red. It must be true. Even when the duration of training time is shortened, the skies still deepen."

"Hm." Berter said nothing despite the talks of religion. Now was not a time to converse about the faith. Now was the time for mind preparation on his part. He'd have to contend with 25 other Tokage who he was certain were all bigger, faster, and stronger than him. 

"Berter," his mother placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

"I suppose so."

"Then, come on," his father bellowed. "Time to go and make us proud."

* * *

"So, this is the tourney their offspring take place in every four years?"

"Every two, sir. Now that we've established trade with them," the jade skinned one replied.

"Battling for mates," the obese pink one grumbled. "It sounds like something those barbaric Saiyans would conduct."

"Dodoria," said Zarbon. "It's imperative that we make a good impression on these people, so keep your comments to yourself."

"Hmph."

"Zarbon is right, Dodoria," Frieza said, taking a sip of his cup of blood wine. "Establishing trade is no easy task. If you kill our chances with these people, I'll kill you. Don't make me have to warn you again."

"Y--Yes, sir……."

"And furthermore," Frieza continued. "They were gracious enough to invite us during one of their sacred traditions, so you'd best be grateful."

"Yes, of course, master Frieza. Please excuse my ignorance."

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Bowing humbly, Dodoria re-seated himself beside Frieza and said nothing more.

* * *

"Excuse, please. Does this path lead to the male fighters' reception room?" Berter asked another Tokage who looked about his age.

"Aye. Straight down that way and it's the first room on your left. I'm on my way there, myself. Let's go together."

"Hello. They call me Berter."

"I am known as Furomaaju. Just call me Maju for short. It's a lot easier to say."

"It's nice to meet you, Maju. We should go now, before we're late."

"Berter!!! Hey, Berter!!!" He turned around upon hearing the call of his name. Running up to him like a madman, laughing and gallivanting about, the one known as Tage made the scene.

"Tage! Tage, it's been so long!!" Embracing his comrade, Berter turns to Maju and introduces him. "Maju, this is Tage, my best friend from adulthood camp. Tage, this is Furomaaju, but he prefers to be called Maju." Tage and Maju exchanged pleasantries.

"Excuse us, but would you happen to know where the female fighters' reception room is?"

"Why, sure! I—I………" Maju was left gawking at the three Tokage females which stood before him, as was Tage. Even Berter's mouth was hanging open a bit. _These are what females are like? Wow………_

"Well?" The tallest of the three inquired once more. "Can you tell us where it is?"

"Uh…….Straight down that path…..first door on your left—no, no! Right! Right!!"

The other two girls giggled. The smallest of the other two females looked at Berter--whose eyes darted between the ground and the girls—and smiled sweetly, causing him to blush deeply, which only caused her to giggle some more.

"Thanks for your help. Good-bye." And with that, the three girls departed for their desired location. Tage nudged Berter with his elbow. "I think the slender girl likes you, Berter."

"Nonsense," he denied, still blushing furiously. "Although I must admit, she was awfully pretty."

"The tall girl wasn't too bad, herself," Maju added.

"I like the mid-sized one. She had the nicest set of fangs I've ever seen on a female."

"Well," sounded an all-too-familiar (and unpleasant) voice. "Keep your eyes to the ground and discontinue lusting upon my sister's looks."

Berter gave the traditional sigh. "Jerin….."

"'ey, Berter," Maju whispered. "Who's this guy here?"

"That's just Jerin. He's no more than a spiteful bully. Don't worry about him."

"That's right. It's me, Jerin. Did you forget I would be here as well?"

"Wow. That was your sister, Jerin?" asked Tage. "She's really pretty."

Maju crinkled up his short muzzle and snorted, "Yes, I can see where all the good looks in the family went. I guess the genes figured there was no point in wasting it on this character."

Jerin blustered while Berter and Tage just snickered. "And just who are you?"

"They call me Maju. At your service," he introduced himself while taking a bow.

"You want to start something, guy? Come on. I can take you."

"Save it for the match, tough guy. You'll get your chance with me. I promise you that. Come on, Berter. Tage." Following Maju, Berter and Tage set forth for the reception room with Jerin following at a considerable distance. 


	8. part 8

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 8

* * *

"May I have your attention, please? May I have your attention, please? The time-honored tournament is about to begin!!!"

The cries of the announcer filled the late morning skies. Each of the spectators cheered out the name of the family member who they knew was going to fight this day. The announcer, wearing a headdress made from powder blue feathers and fur bangles around his wrists and ankles, continued doing what he did best.

"Thank you! Thank you! And welcome to the Plateaus Regional Championship!!!" He shouted into a wooden megaphone. "If I may draw your attention to bleacher 3, section blue, we have a very special guest! Please, please, give a warm welcome to the planet trader, Lord Frieza!!!"

Frieza stood accordingly to the given applause, although most of the Tokage couldn't see him because of his diminutive stature.

"Why is he repeating everything twice?" Asked Dodoria in a whisper.

"Hush, Dodoria," Zarbon hissed. "Stop jeering like an ass and be quiet."

"Okay, okay! Let's tone it dowwwwwn!!" He drew out the last word while slowing moving to a crouched position. "And let's get ready to turn things up!! Today, we'll be commencing with the 11th Year Tourneys! And what's more, we're starting things off with the Female Bouts! So pay close attention, young men…!" That drew a few laughs from the crowd. "So, let's bring out first two fighters out, shall we?"

The announcer took out a sheet of parchment and read the first couple of contestant of the list. "Battle 1: Miso of Fuyarin and Pura of Kishin!!" 

The concourse acclaimed loudly for the two as they entered the arena. The announcer made his exit and the referee made his debut. "Now, remember," he said in a scratchy voice. "You've got exactly ten minutes to weaken your opponent as much as you can. The first one to be knocked out-of-bounds or plead 'mercy' loses. In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided based on overall performance. Now," the referee step out of the battle area, clapped his hands twice, and shouted, "Bout with Fists- Battle 1: BEGIN!!"

* * *

"Woohoo!"

"Oh, man! She just tore a HUGE part of her garment! You can see her—"

"Take a look at that!"

"Not bad at all!" 

"Move over! I can't see!"

The Tokage congregated to the single window to see some girl action (cough), while Berter, Tage, Maju, and of course, Jerin, stayed to the opposite site of the room.

"Hmph. That's mature," Jerin hissed.

"Who are you fooling, Jerin?" said Berter. "You want to see those girls go at it just as much as everyone else does." Jerin simply harrumphed.

"At least I don't make myself out to be a pervert by crowding in front of a window and whooping like bush monkeys at a couple of battling females."

"You should be the last one to talk of perversion," Tage cut in, shaking a finger. "Because we all know what you do at night…."

Berter and Tage burst out into fits of laughter. Furomaaju allowed himself a tiny smirk but nothing else. If Jerin was a human, he would have been beet red about now, mostly due to embarrassment.

"That—That is NOT true!!" Jerin stammered. "I am not one to pleasure myself in that way!!"

"Oh, yeah? Those stains on your sheets back in our training days said differently. It's funny how the would always be near the area around your—"

"Okay, that'll be enough of that," Maju intervened in the knick of time (for Jerin, that is.). "I think you two have had enough fun for now." Nodding, they agreed to give their fellow Tokage (although that's not what they considered him to be) his peace. "Why not do something positive and go over some fighting tactics?"

"Not a bad idea. Tage?"

"Okay, then."

"Does it matter, really?" Jerin crossed his arms and said let loose a smug look. "I don't see too much point to it. The two of you will probably lose with your first fights, anyway."  


"Well, all of us will see what happens when it happens," Maju said cooly. "I wouldn't go about making any predictions until you see them fight."

Jerin chortled. "I have seen them fight before, sir, and let me tell you this: I have nothing to worry about."

"And why are you so doubtful in their abilities, sire? Why do you detest them so?"

"That, sir, is none of your business."

"Hey!" One Tokage cried out. "It looks as if the fight's gonna end soon!"

"Yeah, that one girl looks as if she's had it!"

* * *

One good blow was all it took for her opponent's to fall outside the limit. And with that, the fight had been won.

"Victory to Pura of Kishin!!" 

The roar of the crowd was deafening. The former opponents shook hands, bowed to each other, and exited the ring. The announcer hopped back into the arena. "A graceful victor, a graceful loser! Either way, we're proud of them both! Let's give these two young ladies a round of applause!!"

The cheers rang out across the stadium. Frieza touched a hand to his chin. "And this is going to be an all-day thing?"

"Yes, Lord Frieza," replied Zarbon. "Half the day will be used for their females' fight, and the other for the males."

"Zarbon, please go to the ship and send a message back to headquarters requesting Ginyu and his men to depart for this planet immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"Ginyu's home planet is in this area, isn't it? Tell him he's free to visit there first if he wishes, also."

"Yes, Frieza. As you command." And with that, Zarbon took flight. "Is there anything I can do, sire?" Dodoria inquired. 

"Yes. Fetch me some more wine."


	9. Part 9

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 9

* * *

It continued on like that for the next four hours. Fight after fight, cheer after cheer….

"Okay okay okaaayyy!!!" The announcer proclaimed. "And it looks like we've got our finalists! Please congratulate the ten fantastic females who made it this far!!" And so the spectators did. Quite loudly, in fact.

"As we all know, this marks the halfway point for this day of the Championships. We will be taking a brief intermission, then get rolling with the start of the Male Bouts!" Having said all he needed to say, the announcer took a bow and exited.

* * *

"Oh, man. I'm so nervous..! We'll be fighting soon, Berter!"

"Ah, I know. Try not to get overexcited, though."

As the young Tokage men's clamor filled the modest room, the only one who didn't seem too psyched about the whole ordeal was Furomaaju, who had begun to meditate silently.

"Maju," Tage called his name. "How can you just sit there unruffled when our battles are about to begin?"

"Mental preparation is key. If you go out there all hyped up, you won't be able to think straight."

"Ah. You are right—"

"--for once." Jerin cut in, whilst performing what appeared to be shadow boxing. "But physical adequacy is equally important. Isn't that right, Tage?" Tage merely turned his head, not bothering to honor him with a reply.

"Well, I, for one, have nothing to be nervous about. I am wholly confidant that I, Jerin of Ren'nin will come out on top."

"'Jerin of Ren'nin'?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Ah, not at all," Maju gave his rejoinder while scratching his head. "It's just kind of odd that you choose to use your mother's name. Why is that?"

"Once again, none of your business."

"You're keeping much too many secrets, 'friend' Jerin. It's not good for the mind or soul."

"I have no secrets; only personal businesses."

* * *

"Captain Ginyu, sir," the technical lackey addressed him. "You have a call in from Hachuurui."

"Hachuurui?"

"Yes. Addressed to you from Zarbon."  


"Alright. Patch me through," The video screen switched on. "Ginyu here."

"Captain Ginyu? It's me. It's Zarbon."

"So I see. This **is** a video link, you know."

"Pardon, sir," Zarbon expressed his regret. He had a few other things he would have liked to express, but he knew better than to mouth off at one of his superiors. Not after the last time… "Captain Ginyu, I've come to you with a message from you from Lord Frieza."

"Then deliver it quickly. I have other places I need to be."

__

Yes, Ginyu. I'm sure you do… "You are ordered to leave for Hachuurui with your men immediately. And you are free to stop by Rabenda first, if it so pleases you."

"A trip back home, eh..? Tell Frieza I thank him for the offer, and that my men and I are on our way. Ginyu, signing off."

__

--POIT!

Zarbon brushed the bangs out of his face and sighed. "Damn, I hate that guy…." 


	10. Part 10

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 10

* * *

"And we begin again!!! With the Male Bout of Fists!!!"

There was a significantly smaller crowd that time around. The family members of the vanquished, having no reason to stay, left earlier during the intermission. "Although there's not as many of us here presently, there's still enough excitement to keep everybody going! And now, let us begin with the first fight!!" 

The announcer pulled out his trusty list once again. "Battle 1: Serakin of Oushi versus Choji of Kunoujou!!" Once again, as the two males entered the arena, the announcer exited as the referee entered.

"Now, you know the rules; Same as Female Bouts'. You've got ten minutes to weaken your opponent as much as you can. The first one to be knocked out-of-bounds or plead 'mercy' loses. In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided based on overall performance. Now," the referee step out of the battle area, and following the same routine of two hand claps, shouted, "Bout with Fists- Battle 1: BEGIN!!"

* * *

Somewhere in space…..

"'Ey, Recoom, you awake?" Jeice transmitted the question through his scouter.

"Yeah. Just may stay that way for the entire trip."

"Hachuurui is 2 ½ days away. You'll be famished before we're even ¼ of the way there. "

"Probably, but I always feel a little uneasy after waking up from suspended animation. And besides, Hachuurui's animals are big enough for me. I can eat there."

"Hmm. I wouldn't know. I've never been."

"That's right. You're not from that sector. I don't believe Guldo knows too much about that area, either. Not a bad place. It's no Kyokutair, though."

"I don't think any place could be much like Kyokutair, Recoom," said Jeice, chuckling.

"I suppose. Most people don't see it as anything more than an icy wasteland. But it's home to me and my kind."

"What are we traveling to Hachuurui for?"

"I don't know. Ginyu didn't say. Frieza's orders, I guess. Whatever it is, it must be pretty important for him to call us out like that in a instant."

"Do you think he's found another member for our Force?"

"Another member?" He seemed almost amused by the notion. "No, no. I don't think so. But, if he has, let's hope we won't have much to work on."

* * *

1 hour passed……

"Next up is… Gin'iro of Takoya versus Jerin of--- …?" The announcer paused for a few seconds, a look of confusion spread cross his face, then regained his composure and continued doing his job. _Well, it's no mistake…_ "Gin'iro of Takoya versus Jerin of Rennin!!"

Widespread murmuring replaced the expected cheers and applause. 

"'Jerin of Rennin'...?"

"He's using his mother's name!" One spectator cried out.

"The little boy's using his mama's name!"

Laughing and mocking arose from the throng of spectators. Even the ref had to let loose a snicker or two. Jerin just strutted on out, confidant despite the current situation. His opponent marched out proudly. 

"Hey, boy," he called out. "What's the matter? Do you have no father, or is your mother a man?" The arrogant Tokage laughed at his own terrible joke. Jerin's proud smirk faded to a look of ire. 

"Alright, alright. Enough," the referee pulled the plug on any further insults. "I'm pretty sure you know the rules by now, so let it begin! Battle 6 Begin!!!"

No sooner than when okay to start was given, the fight was over, Jerin sprang up in the blink of an eye and delivered a massive punch straight into his opponent's stomach, causing him to cough up a fair amount of blood. He removed his fist from the contact point. The other Tokage trembled a bit, then doubled over and dropped to his knees.

"M…Mercy…."

The referee blinked, trying to piece together what just occurred. "Uh…. Victory to Jerin of Rennin…" Realizing most all of the crowd didn't hear that, he said it again. Or rather, shouted. 

"Victory to Jerin of Rennin!!"

No cheers were given. The concourse was too startled to do too much of anything. A few enthusiasts could be heard, though. Jerin's sister was waving wildly and calling out to him while his mother sat besides beaming. Soon, the crowd began to follow the example his sister set. Little by little, the ovations could be heard, until everyone was cheering. Slowly, he approached the vanquished and kneeled down. 

"Look up at me." The Tokage complied. 

"Listen here, you fool," he said with an intimidating softness. "You would not have had to suffer as much as you are nor be as humiliated had you kept your mouth shut. You are free to talk of me as you will, but you will say nothing to soil the honor of the woman who bore me. Now, repent."

The Tokage hesitated, then gave his apology. "Forgiveness….sire…."

Smirking, Jerin return to the standing position and withdrew from the battleground. 

* * *

"Hey, Jerin! Good fight!"

"Nice work, sire!"

"Glad I won't be fighting you!"

Jerin smiled at the expected praises, shaking hands of his fellow Tokage, most of them he didn't even know. After all was said and done, Jerin retreated back to the corner near Berter, Tage, and Furomaaju.

"Good job there, Jerin," Berter congratulated him.

"Yeah. Even I have to admit you were great," said Tage. Maju chose to remain silent but nodded with a smile.

"You're lucky, Berter." Jerin crossed his arms. "I was saving it for you, but we didn't get to fight each other. Too bad."

"A 'thank you' would have been a more appropriate response," said a glaring Maju. Jerin merely snorted in response to the dirty look. 

"Now fighting! Massugu of Kao versus Fu…Furo… uh, Fro…."

"Must be me he's calling," Maju chuckled. "Harder to read than it is to write. See you guys when it's over, hopefully."

"No problem! You're going to win and win big!" Tage cheered enthusiastically.

"Good luck to you, friend Maju," Berter said with a grin. Maju nodded and made his way to the battling area. "Bet he loses," Jerin spat.

* * *

"Battle 7 Begin!!!"

The two warriors began things off in a sumo-like fashion, each struggling and grappling, trying to push one another out of the ring, although Furomaaju had a harder time due to the fact that his opponent was greater in girth. Although, he had a higher threshold of pain, Maju had more power. The two were evenly matched, it seemed. Three minutes of this came and went, and the crowd was getting irritable, as was the referee.

"Either of you has 5 seconds to bring about offense. Otherwise, the victor will be decided by chance."

Given that new circumstance, the opponent Massugu made a move. Lowering his head to his adversary's chest, he sprinted forth, causing Maju to bolt back and lose balance at the sudden movement. Then, hoisting him up over his head, Massugu threw him out of the ring and into the dirt.

"Out of bounds! Victory to Massugu of Kao!"

Massugu extended a hand to the vanquished and spoke, "I'm sorry. That was way too short. You should've been given the chance to go out more gracefully."

Furomaaju took his hand and pulled himself up. "It's fine. I did my best. I'm just sorry I wasn't enough of a challenge. Good luck tomorrow."

* * *

"Maju lost…." Said a disappointed Tage.

Berter nodded in agreement. "That's too bad. I felt sure he would win."

"Hmph. What did I tell you?" said Jerin getting in his 'I-told-you-so's. "That guy, he was all talk. When it came down to it, he was just a pretender."

"That's enough, now!" Berter exclaimed, gaining the attention of a few of the other Tokage in the room. "I'll make up for his loss by defeating you, Jerin, and that will show you that I am not just talk! The cicatrix on my back should prove half of that!"

Jerin inherited a smug look on his face. "Are you challenging me, Berter? Ha! You've got to win in this tourney first! Do that, and I'll gladly accept!"


	11. Part 11

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 11

* * *

Eventually, the final fights of that day ended, and the first sights of night surfaced. 

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, everyone, for coming this day! We have accommodations already prepared for our young warriors, so no worries! Please, return tomorrow at the same time for the Finals! Those who have won, be proud! Those who have lost, be glad that you lost with such honor!"

Berter had won his bout with flying colors, as did his friend Tage, but by different means. (His opponent couldn't stop laughing, so he had to forfeit the match.) The two of them, along with a few other Tokage, sat around a sort of campfire and roasted skewered fish.

"All right! Free rooms and easy prey! Couldn't be better!"

"You're right. It couldn't be better. If you like thin futons and charred fish on sticks, that is…"

"Bah." Berter yanked a fish that was completely cooked and practically inhaled it, tossing the orts back into the river. "You're so spoiled, Tage. This isn't some tavern in the Industrial Region, so it's best not to complain." Tage simply 'humphed' and downed his meal in discontent.

"You had better eat all you can. They'll be calling us in to retire soon."

"I'm going to find something else to eat. There's bound to be a few monkeys or bush rats lurking about. I'll return shortly."

"Alright. I'll have some fish waiting for you in case you don't catch anything." As his friend departed for the nearby bush, Berter picked up the sounds of strong splashing coming from further down the river. Curiously, he got up and moved toward that area. To his surprise, it was a female—one of the three he was earlier that day—in a vain attempt to catch a fish. He watched as the girl kept her head down, eyes following the fish's movements, then comically chasing after it like a child would after a stray ball. Stifling a laugh, Berter called out to her.

"They didn't teach you girls too much about fishing, did they?"

The sudden shout-out startled the girl, making her stumble forward and fall into the water. Sputtering and coughing, the Tokage female cried out, "What business do you have spying on me?!" She snorted out between coughs. 

"I'm sorry! I wasn't spying! Truthfully! Do you need assistance?"

"I can get up myself! I don't need any help from you!" Standing up, and obviously in a huff, the Tokage female wrung out the bottom half of her frock, the creases from where the cloth had been twisted together more than visible. Muttering under her breath, she continued to try to catch some food.

"Here. Let me show you the right way to do it." Crouching down and placing his large hands in the water, Berter proceeded with the lesson. "Now, watch me." Remaining inert, the Tokage male watched the water patiently. Cocking her head to one side, the female spoke up. 

"When are you actually going to do something?"

"Ssh. Just watch."

As if on cue, two fish cautiously swam up to Berter's hands. Not seeming to consider them a threat, they went about the usual business of swimming. Suddenly, he snatched both of them up in either hand, water splashing up all around. 

"Our hands were made for fishing. That's why they're as wide as they are. All you have to do is keep still and quiet, and the fish will come to you. Here. These are yours." 

Holding out both hands, he presented to her the catch of the day. Reluctantly, the female took the fish, the slimy texture of their skin not bothering her in the least, for such a thing was expected. But it was clear that something else wasn't. A look of puzzlement ran cross her face. For whatever reason, the Tokage male had his sights fixated on her, and was grinning witlessly, to boot.

Quirking an eye ridge, the female spoke up. "Why are you staring at me?"

Having been snapped out of whatever trance he had been in, Berter apologized. "Please, pardon my rudeness," said he, abashed. "Greetings. I am know as Berter." 

"Neizu. Neizu of Roderin. I'd gladly talk to you further," she threw in a sarcastic cough. "but I want to train some before tomorrow." Turning on her heel, she began to walk off.

"Hey, wait!" He quickly sprung up from his crouched position and trotted up to her. "Would you mind if I accompanied you?"

"Yes, actually," she replied haughtily. "Thank you for the fishing lesson. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, eh? Goodbye, Barter." 

"It's Berter, and you're welcome." Waiting till she was out of sight, Berter kicked at the dirt, hissing through his teeth and swearing inwardly. _What a obnoxious girl… It's a shame her personality isn't as good as her looks… I'd feel sorry for the poor male that ends up with her for a mate…_

* * *

Elsewhere…

"You know, you did very well today. I'm glad you were able to make it as one of the finalists. I'm very proud of you."

"You doubted me?"

"Of course not," he replied, pulling her closer as she nestled into his side. "Brother, could I ask you something..?"

"Feel free," the Tokage replied, trailing his forefinger along her neck. He was swiftly rewarded with a soft coo of sorts, letting him know he was doing okay.

"What happens… if we both reach the same rank tomorrow…. and have to be paired up as mates?"

"I don't know. It's been known to happen, so we wouldn't have to worry about being ridiculed. If anything, we might be congratulated, for it will show that we carry strong blood."

The male could see a bit of worry in her eyes. "Don't frown. You look so much prettier with a smile on your face." Sighing dispiritedly, she rested her head on his broad shoulder. "You want to take me as a mate, don't you..?"

Not really having anything to say to that, he turned his head. The female cocked her head and tugged on his cassock. "Are you all right?"

"Don't concern yourself with my feelings. It doesn't matter. Just know if fate deals us that card, I'll be the best mate I can be to you."

"Many thanks. I love you, Jerin."

"And I love you, Rico, my dearest sister."


	12. Part 12

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 12

* * *

__

*Dedicated to Lordess Vegeta (^_^)

Hachuurui's sun had barely shown its face when the tournament resumed. The early morning air carried the chirps of various insects and the mild scent of flowers and dew.

"Berter. Berter, awaken. You'll be late in your continuation."

The combination of Tage's smooth and gentle voice and moderate shaking stirred his friend from a peaceful sleep. A deep rumble rolled in his voice as he sluggishly turned to prop himself up on his elbow. Surveying his given area with disconcerted eyes, Berter threw his sheets back over his head and plopped back on the thin futon. Tage just kneeled beside him and chuckled softly.

"Come now," he said, placing a hand on what appeared to be his friend's head under the sheet. "The 10th year tourneys have already ended, and everyone else is already up. You'll be late if you don't get up and get yourself ready now."

"Bah." Berter reluctantly rose from the less-than-comfortable futon, muttering a few curses in the process.

* * *

"Good morning, good morning, good morning!!! And welcome to the final day of the Plateau Regional Championships!! Our final ten of both genders will be competing on this greatest and last day of the Championships, so let's hear a round of applause!!" 

"First, we will start the final tourney with the Male Bout with Spears! This will commence in a round-robin tournament in which everyone fights everyone once and only once! In the event of a tie, the two with the highest matching scores will face off. Let it begin! The Bout with Spears!!"

"So early they like to start things..!" said Frieza with a slightly lilt in his voice. "That's good. It shows these Tokage are hard workers."

__

A bit too early for my taste, thought a cross Zarbon as he lightly pushed a few stray tendrils of hair out of his face. _Ginyu…._ Zarbon's face twisted into a distasteful sneer. _He'll be here in a while's time. Then I'll have to put up with seeing his damnable self for Azur-knows-how-long…_ The cerulean soldier would have continued to stew, but Dodoria's loud and nasal breathing rudely interrupted his thoughts.

Zarbon sneered at the slumbering lummox and hissed, "Wake up, _baka_..!" But his discommend failed to deter him from sleep. Frieza, looking over his shoulder, spied the snoozing oaf and shook his head.

"Zarbon, a rude awakening, please." 

"Quite."

With immense pleasure, Zarbon kicked the chair out from under the fat slob, giving him a chance to meet the hard wood. Apparently, it did the trick. 

Jarred awake from the fall, Dodoria let out a loud curse. "Damn it!!" He sat up, only to be greeted by the smirk of a familiar cobalt face. "You!" Striking out like a snake, he pulled Zarbon to him by his armor's collar. This turn of events only spread Zarbon's smirk wider.

"Why, Dodoria, I didn't know you felt that way about me."

"Feel this, moron!" With a fat fist drawn back, the angry oaf was ready to rearrange Zarbon's face.

"Now, now, boys. Behave yourselves," Frieza scolded. "You're behavior reflects on me, so I suggest you be at your best at all times. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Frieza," they said in unison. 

* * *

"We're all so very excited now! The last and sure to be a most spectacular fight is about to begin!" 

The fights whirled through the day, and the air was filled with the hopeful cheers and shouts of the fighters' families and friends. Berter and Jerin were tied for ranking first place. The tension between them couldn't have gotten any thicker.

"With the leading two fighters' scores tied, this will determine who is best of the best!"

That damned announcer wasn't helping things much, either.

"Final Bout! Berter of Kyôrusan versus Jerin of Ren'nin!"

The roar of the crowd did little to up Berter's spirits. The young man felt a lump form in his throat, but did not hesitate to join his rival in the ring. Suddenly, a familiar warmth found itself on his shoulder.

"Berter," Tage said, smiling. "..Best of luck." With a smile and a nod, the Tokage turned to the exit, spear in hand, and marched out to the ring, feeling a bit more confident.

The spectator's excitement peaked as the two fighters emerged onto the ring. They stood facing each other, weapons at the ready, waiting to start. The announcer made his exit, and the referee stepped in to take his place.

"Bout with Spears- Final Battle: BEGIN!!"

As soon as the word to fight was given, Jerin rushed at Berter with great speed, spearhead aimed straight at his heart. Reeling back, Berter swung his spear like one would a baseball bat, making contact with his opponent's and resulting in a loud wooden smack and being pinned to the ring floor. Growling, Jerin bucked his head against Berter's. A sharp hiss escaped the latter's lips, but he had no time to comfort the pain. Jerin had already freed his weapon, and was ready to lunge it forward. Making swift, he managed to evade its pointed tip, for the most part. 

A few drops of Tokage blood stained the ring. Jerin had managed to rip part of his tunic and catch a piece of his flesh. Lucky for Berter, it didn't penetrate the first layer of skin totally. Studying it further, the light wound was approximately where the liver would be located in humans. Judging by its placement, it was meant to be fatal.

__

He was going to run me through… He's really trying to kill me…

A small smirk spread across Jerin's face. He seemed to relish in the fact that he had drawn blood from object of his hatred. _After I win this, I'll be sure to keep this spear. It'll be a sort of trophy for my greatest achievement…_

Filled with a new sense of determination, Berter was prepared to defeat this most abhorrent rival. This time, Berter was the one to charge. A smirking Jerin crouched slightly, not taking the assault seriously. But, to his surprise, instead of making contact, Berter flipped right over him. Before Jerin even had time to make a complete turn, he found himself skidding halfway across the ring, but managed to roll back to a standing position. Unfortunately for him, he had skidded too close to the ring's edge for comfort.

His opponent's equilibrium shot, this was the perfect time for Berter to strike. Pushing off with a single foot, the Tokage rushed, spear wielded, ready to win. Weapon drawn back, he prepared to deliver what could be the final blow. As if on cue, Jerin held his spear horizontally, blocking the blow. One more hit, and he'd be feeling the dirt. Thrusting his weight, Berter shoved his opponent, who was now fighting for balance, and with a single-handed twirl of his spear, jabbed through his rival's bow, breaking his spear. Then fell Jerin, tumbling backwards out of the arena.

"Defeat times two! The final bout goes to Berter of Kyôrusan!!"

Never had there been a louder shout of excitement from the concourse. The same could be said for the cheer in the Berter's heart. Not only had he won against Jerin, but he also now ranked first place in the Plateau Regional Championships. The emotions he felt at that very moment couldn't be described with words, but if they could, the words that fit best would be:

'Proud, accomplished, happy.'

__

I am happy.


	13. Part 13

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 13

* * *

"YYYYEEEEEEESSSSS!!! The Female Bouts are ended!! This completes it!! Our beautiful land of the Plateaus finally has its new champions to carry on her people!! If we could please have our ten of each gender emerge onto the arena, then we will introduce our new progenitors!"

They came out single file, males on one side, females on the other. The announcer read through the 10th through 4th ranks quickly, and the list went on…

"At rank 3 of males, we have Tage of Tamerlain!" He made his way to the stand, trying his best to hide a grin but failing miserably. "And his new mate, ranking 3rd of females, Rico of Ren'nin!!"

Jerin's eyes grew wide as saucers, and his jaw looked as if it was about to fall right off its hinges. His expression was a mix between total shock and utter disappointment. _My sister… My beautiful sister… with that… that… **that**?!_ Jerin muffled a groan.

"Placing 2nd rank, Jerin of Ren'nin! And his new mate, Haidoren of Kausu!"

Applause. He could care less how beautiful or charming the girl looked. She wasn't Rico. And if she wasn't Rico, then she mattered little more to him than dust in the wind. The announcer cleared his throat as he prepared to call out the last two names on his parchment.

"And at the number 1 rank, Berter of Kyôrusan! And his mate of equal rank, Neizu of Roderin!!"

"WHAT?!!" 

Berter's astonished outcry was lost in the cheer of the spectators. He muttered just about every curse known to intelligent life on his way to the stand, making direct eye contact with his new consort. Judging by the look on her face, she didn't seem to be any happier knowing she'd be stuck with him for the rest of her life.

"Can we get a Shrine Chevalier out here? Before we end this thing, let's get these young couples officially bonded!"

A black-cloaked figure stepped out from the sidelines, wearing a headdress of swept back horns and feathers and carrying with him a wooden container full of charred leaves. The Shrine Chevalier gathered a handful of them and crushed them in his palm. Then, he walked around the files of Tokage, sprinkling the blackened leaf bits around them. Finally, the Chevalier tossed the remained of the leaves into the sky, fluttering back down to the ground.

"With the grace of the gods watching o'erhead, I now pronounce you young ones bonded!"

* * *

Frieza stroked his chin as the proud family members cleared the bleachers. "Zarbon, make a note, please. The one ranking highest –what was his name?"

"Berter, I believe, sir."

"Yes, this 'Berter' fellow, make sure that I have a word with him tomorrow. These Tokage, they practice with ki attacks, do they not?"

Zarbon cast his sights down to the ring, where the fighters and their families were collaborating. "As far as I know, they do train with them in case of emergencies, but otherwise, they are regarded as honorless weapons, much like guns." 

Dodoria scratched the back of his spikey head. "I hear they're a strong people. We could check some of their powers if you wish it, Master Frieza."

"No, that's quite all right, Dodoria," Frieza politely refused. "The average for these people is 10,000 Battle Points, I believe. A few of them would be good to have as front line soldiers, and perhaps with an adequate amount of training, we could possibly have a new member for Ginyu's force."

Zarbon formed a fist and gritted his teeth at the mention of Ginyu's name. Frieza peered out of the corner of his eye. "Is there a problem, Zarbon?" 

Sighing, the Azureman replied, "No, sir…. No problem…." 

* * *

"I'm so proud of you!"

"My little girl is bonded!"

"You did great, kid!"

"That's my boy."

"Berter's father patted him on his tan scaled head. "Heck, back when I competed in this, I pulled dead last in th' ranks. Who'd have guess that my son would place first?" 

"I'm pleasantly surprised that he didn't fall dead last like his father did," his mother muttered under her breath, to which Kyôrusan whispered in her left auricle: 

"Well, if ya weren't so damned attractive, I wouldn't have thrown all my matches."

"Oh, Kyôrusan! You're terrible!" Berter's mother giggled like she hadn't in years, and his father laughed along. He hoped to have a loving relationship like that, but then he remembered whom he would be with, and gave up all hopes of such.

* * *

"Well, great day in the morning! My boy placed third! That's five ranks higher than I got! ….I think… Oh, well! Who cares!" The boisterous laughs of Tage's husky father, who once again had his son in a deathlock of a hug, made up the vast majority of clamor in the area. 

"Think of all we have to do, your mother and I! We have to get you fitted for a bangle, and prepare the dowry, and we still have to meet with the girl's parents! I'm so excited, I just might shed a tear or two!"

Tage's mother put two fingers to her temple and smiled. "And they say women are overemotional…."

Tage would have laugh at the comment, but that would have depleted what little air he had left in him. "Father…" He strained. "Air: good…. Suffocation: bad…." Catching his drift, he quickly released his son from the intended gesture of affection. 

* * *

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

Jerin held his sister in his arms, offering reassuring words that seemed to do nothing to comfort her. "Rico, it's not your fault. You didn't want us to be paired up in the first place, remember? You should be happy."

"If only…. If only I had won one more bout, then we'd be of equal rank. I'm sorry, Jerin…" She buried her face in his chest, on the verge of tears. 

__

Me, too, Rico… "Don't worry about it. Didn't I tell you not to worry about my feelings? I'll get along just fine."

She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "Will you really?"

"We both will. So, no more blaming yourself, understandable?"

"Very much so."

"Good. Now let's go." 

* * *

"So, Tage, I guess this is it, then."

"I guess it is, Berter."

"I hope you'll be very happy with your mate."

"Same to you."

"I'll, uh…. miss you."

"I'll miss you, as well."

"I guess this is good-bye, then."

"I guess it is. Good-bye, Berter."

"Good-bye, Tage. Have a nice life."  


The two shook hands and took their separate paths. It was all that they could do to be so straightforward. A lengthy farewell would have only made things more difficult. 


	14. Part 14

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 14

* * *

"So, Zarbon, what were you thinking? Did you think it was nice? Did you think it was fun? Did you think it was **smart** to disobey my orders?"

"No, sir. I would never deliberately disobey your orders. What happened was not under my control, and could not have been avoided."

"Could not have been avoided….? You cleared an area the size of this very room fiftyfold—and the very part that we were to conquer the planet for, at that— and you're telling me that it could not have been avoided..?"

"I am telling you, Ginyu, that it wasn't my fault."

"Then whose was it, Zarbon? The birds? Do the birds burn things?"

"…It wasn't my fault, **Ginyu**…" The Azureman began to seethe with anger.

"Hmm. Your accent seems to have thickened…." Ginyu lightly patted the 'balt-skinned bishounen on his cheek. "Continue, and please take care to lighten it the next time you speak."

Making a better attempt at controlling his growing rage, Zarbon continued barely above a whisper. "…I was…. on a ledge…. about to fire my Crusher Ball…It was just leaving my hand…when the ledge gave way, and I slipped…… the ball slipping with me…... "

"….. I see. … Not only have you botched our entire mission, you've chosen to lie to me, as well. That I cannot forgive. Take it off."

"What..?"

"Take off your armor. And everything else, as well."

"You're joking! There's no way!"

"You say you'd never deliberately disobey my orders, yet you refuse to remove your garb like I tell you to. Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, Zarbon. I'd hate to inflict any needless pain upon you. Now, take it off."

"All right. Fine…" Zarbon began to shed his attire. "But any pain administered would be needless altogether because the fault wasn't mine. It's pointless to punish me for something I had no will for. I have never lied to you before, so what reason would I have now?"

There stood the nude Zarbon, his flawless skin gleaming in the lights which beamed down overhead. The corners of Ginyu's mouth turned upward slightly. The sight of a disrobed Azureman was a feast for anyone's eyes; his were no exception. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the problem at hand.

"What reason, you ask? Why, to get yourself out of trouble with Frieza and myself, of course," he replied, very sure of himself. "Frieza may have accepted your little falling story, but I, for one, have not." Ginyu draped his arm around the Azureman's bare chest and pulled in. "But of course, I could forgive you if you did a little something for me." Ginyu pulled him in closer and smiled lecherously. "Women and men alike would go as far as selling their souls for just a single moment of passion with an Azureman. If you would be so kind as to…" He whispered the rest in Zarbon's ear.

A look of total disgust wrapped around his face. "You're mad..! I won't do it!"

"Mad, am I..?" Ginyu didn't appreciate that. A small yelp escaped Zarbon's lips as the captain slammed the front of his body against the wall. The Azureman fell to his knees, preparing himself for the worst.

"We all have to deal with humility every now and again in our lives, whether we learn by ourselves or it is taught to us. Today, Zarbon, you shall be taught a lesson in humility." Pulling out a whipping rod, Ginyu's face remained expressionless. "Now, stay very still and don't turn around. It'd kill me to do any damage to that beautiful face of yours…"

hr

__

Hmph. Dreaming…

It was rare that Zarbon ever dreamed. But when he did, it was usually about events in the past. This latest one was no exception. If I'm dreaming about that, it must be a sign that Ginyu will be here soon, the

bastard. 

Zarbon sat up in his bed, burying his face in his hands and expressing a sigh of discontent. 

Cloaked in nothing other than an orchid sheet, the golden-eyed creature arose from his former position. Tired and equally frustrated, he proceeded to the facilities. 

The Eastern Hemisphere of Hachuurui was well into its night. The stars seemed unrivaled in their splendor, twinkling beautifully with the deep purples and blues that warmly wrapped them in the aerospace. The only things that could be heard were the chirps of various insects in the area, and of course, the sound of machinery from Frieza's large ship. Not all creatures got to sleep in the night hours, especially the majority of those who worked for Frieza. Fortunately for Zarbon, this was not the case.

__

…Plip.….Plip.….Plip.….Plip….

The dripping of a showerhead and the soft breathing of an Azureman were the only sounds present in the room.

__

…Plip.….Plip.….Plip.….Plip….

"Drip…. drip….. drip…. drip….. My life is steadily dripping away like the water from that showerhead…"

Tucking a few wet tassels of hair behind his ear, Zarbon dressed himself in a pair of dark skin-tight shorts, threw a towel round his neck, and exited the room. 

His silent footsteps made their way through the dimly lit corridor. Rounding the corner, a familiar and bulbous figure came into view. "Dodoria…?" He started. "What are you doing, skulking around the halls at this hour?"

The ogre slowly lifted a lid. "What does it look like, Zarbon? I'm trying to get some rest."

"You know, we do have beds for things like that…"

"I ought to club you over the head and eat your bones… But they're probably no good, much like yourself." Dodoria laughed at his little insult.

"You ogres are all the same; your skulls are as thick as the clubs you wield. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Zarbon swung his wet mess of hair around and smacked the obesity in the face, then made his way to wherever it was he was headed.

* * *

Morning…

"So then, y'all set there, son?"

"Mm-hmm. I've got all that I'll need. And many thanks for the Ridre Dino, father." The young Tokage placed a blue hand on the reptilian courser's side. The Ridre dino gave out a few high-pitch barks and pawed at the dirt, looking about excitedly. "This dino seems very anxious to get going. A fine looking one like this must have been expensive." 

"Aye, that it—OOF!!" A quick jab from his mate's elbow changed the tune of that sentence. " …That is to say, anything for you, son." Berter's mother nodded in approval. "Now Berter, you be sure to write as soon as you get there."

"I will, mother. Don't worry."

"Pre-built structures, I tell ya… Back in my day, all they gave you was some imported lumber from the Forested Region and a plot of land, and you had to fight off the dinos just to keep that. I built this house from the ground up with my own two hands..! I tell ya, you kids today have it too easy….."

"Go now while he has his back turned," his mother whispered. 

"Right. I'll come and visit soon," he whispered back as he mounted the dino. "I love you. Same goes for father. Good-bye."

As he rode on saurback over the horizon, his mother called out: "Good-bye, Berter! Next time you come back, I'll expect to be a grandmother!"


	15. Part 15

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 15

* * *

"Hmm… You need a name. What would be good name for a Ridre Dino like you? …How about Satchoryu?"

The Ridre Dino snorted in displeasure and shook its head.

"Alright. How does Sempersan sound to you?"

Again, the Ridre Dino snorted and stamped its feet.

"……Forget it. We can worry about giving you a name later. I don't even know where I'm supposed to go…" Reaching back, Berter pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "…Map says 35 lengths due northwest, so let's go, dinosaur."

With an excited bark, the Ridre Dino galloped swiftly in the desired direction. About an hour or so later…

"Well, I guess she's here already."

The royal blue Ridre Dino tied to a nearby post was the giveaway. Dismounting, Berter approached the wooden dwelling. It wasn't much to look at. A few planks of plywood nailed together to form a living quarter and a thatched roof thrown together in a non-impressive fashion. There was definitely room for improvement, but all that could be worried about later. Right now, he had to hold his concerns of getting through the rest of his days with the unpleasant female called his mate.

"So this is my fate… being stuck with a female who's as friendly as a Razher dino and just as quick to bite my head off…" Sighing, Berter dragged his feet to cottage entrance, head hung low. So low, in fact, that he did not notice the door as it swung open at a most inopportune time, smacking him square in the face. Poking her head outside the door, the female wondered what it was she had hit. The muffled cries of the male Tokage delivered her answer.

"Oh, so you're finally here," said Neizu, regardless of knowing what she had caused.

"Aren't you going to apologize?!" Berter snarled while rubbing the bridge of his muzzle.

"For what reason? It was the door that hit you. Tell **it** to apologize."

Berter placed a hand atop his head. _Is she deliberately going out of her way just to be rude to me..?_ "And I've not even been here five minutes…"

Walking past him with her nose in the air, Neizu proceeded to tending to her Ridre dino. "Are you going to make yourself useful, or are you just going to stand there all day?" 

Although rather annoyed by her at this point, the male held his tongue and remained polite. "What is it you would have me do?"

"Excuse me."

The two turned around to find a green-haired blue-skinned humanoid along with an unknown Tokage escort on a Ridre dino. 

"Are you Berter of Kyôrusan?" The humanoid asked.

"Aye, that I am. Do you want something from me?"

"Here." The Azureman approached him and handed him a scroll of parchment. "You are familiar with the name 'Freeza,' aren't you?" The Tokage nodded. "Since you placed first in your region," the Azureman continued. "You are to see Lord Freeza in the Flatlands at ten minutes past the 4th hour tomorrow. An escort will come here for you then."

"Um… Alright…" 

The Azureman nodded and bowed slightly. "Good day, then."

Berter placed a hand behind his head. "That was odd…. Anyway, continuing our little discussion—"

The female hissed an interruption. "As I was saying, do what you will; hunt, fish, whatever you want. Just stay from my space."

Harsh words from a harsh woman. Shaking his head, Berter quietly slunk away to do his own thing, not giving his hostile spouse a second glance. 

* * *

The area in which the Tokage resided contained some of the lushest vegetation in that region of the Plateaus. As first-ranking champions of the Plateaus, they naturally received the best plot of land. But even the best of lands can have its share of dangers. The bush of the surrounding area was exceptionally thick. This meant a nice variety of animals to hunt for the resident Tokage. On the other hand, this also meant a number of predatory animals could find there way to the house and lands. There was no guarantee that some animal wouldn't wander onto their territory, but such a thing comes with sharing the land with untamed creatures.

"Unbelievable…" A familiar Tokage grumbled as he devoured a fish's head then threw the orts into the water. "The thought that one could be so…. so…. **insensitive**…Grrrrrr!!" He clinched his fists, then exhaled deeply. "No, no. I must persevere. It's just the first day, and we're both adjusting. But still……she doesn't have to be so harsh with me."

Falling back, Berter sighed. _…But still, I can't help but wonder if everything will work out between us…_

* * *

Meanwhile, in the nearby flatlands…

"Master Freeza," Zarbon said. "I've just received a transmission from Ginyu on Rabenda."

"Oh?" Freeza responded, still keeping his back turned. "So, he decided to stop there, after all?"

"Yes, sir." _Probably paying off his debts, or undoubtedly making more…_ "The significance of it was that they'd be departing from Rabenda shortly, and expected arrival time at Hachuurui is estimated to be on the 4th hour, Plateau Standard Time."

"Very good. I assume that everything is all set, Mister Zarbon?"

"Yes, sire. The routes are clear and all four candidates will arrive as scheduled."

* * *

Things had remained particularly quiet for the rest of the day, but that passed quickly as the skies turned to dusk…

"What?!! I can deal with keeping from your space, but now you're telling me I can't even sleep in the same room as you?! Ridiculous!!" 

"Well, what were you expecting? I don't know what you might try! You're a man, and men get ideas!!"

Berter fell over with a huge blush slapped across his face. "What am I to do, then? Sleep outside with the Ridre Dinos?!"

A slow silence crept in. Finally, Neizu reached a verdict. "…Alright. You are free to sleep in the same room…"

The male sighed exasperatedly. "Many thanks…" Perhaps this meant she was finally cutting him a little slack. 

"…but not in the same bed." 

Or perhaps not. "Then where am I to retire?!" He yelled, his patience thinning more and more with each second.

"On the floor would be your only alternative. There are extra sheets and a mat in the sideboard there. Take those and sleep peacefully."

"…..Fine… The floor it is, then…."

Persevere. It's only the first day, after all.


	16. Part 16

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 16

* * *

"Serve it up, Zarbon!"

"Right. First one to spill blood loses."

The Azureman chucked the orange-sized gray ball at the adjacent wall, which hit with a 'swak' and found its way to Jeice's hand.

"My turn."

Reeling back, the Kaijin whipped his fist around and released the sphere…

They were playing a game much like wall ball called 'high bound', designed to increase agility and dexterity. The ball was fashioned so that each time it rebounded, it would come back a little faster. It proved to be fun as well as a useful exercise, but intense games of high bound could prove to be deadly.

Turning on his heel, Zarbon ripped the ball from the air and threw it away as if it were a ticking time bomb about to go off. "Close one there, Zarbon!" Jeice chuckled as the high-speed sphere left his hand.

"Just watch your-SELF!"

Zarbon shouted the last syllable of his sentence as he forcefully chucked the ball. From there on, all hell broke loose. With each throw back, the gray sphere rebounded faster and faster, the Azureman and Kaijin barely able to receive with each passing. Beads of sweat whipped across their bodies as they moved to and fro to keep up with the speed of the ball. Pounding, pounding, pounding were the players' hearts as they were pushed to their near limits. Jeice could feel the Azureman was tiring, that the game was his. All he had to do was wait for Zarbon to slip up.

But oh, how irony can play its hand so well…

So busy was he watching his azure opponent that on his turn to receive, the ball grazed the back of his hand and cut across the area where his collarbone met his right shoulder. The Kaijin toppled back, his scarlet blood staining the smooth floor under him. When the ball rebounded, the Azureman caught it in his palm and set it gently on the floor.

"Well, I guess you win," said the red man, clutching his wound and propping himself up with an elbow. 

"Need some help?"

"Nah. I'll manage. I guess it's off to the tank for me," Jeice said with a smile that was bittersweet, then wobbled his way up to a standing position. The Azureman crossed his arms. "Humph. I seem to beat you a lot in this game."

Jeice shrugged with his one good shoulder. "Maybe you're just a better athlete than I am."

"Or maybe you've just been letting me win."

"Maybe. I didn't mean to lose this time."

"'This time'..? Wha--"

"Love to talk s'more, Zar, but I'd prefer to get taken care of before I die of blood loss. See ya!"

* * *

"…You were always playing games with me. I wanted you to be more serious."

"Is something wrong, Mister Zarbon?"

"Huh?" The Azureman looked up, surprised. He hadn't realized he was speaking aloud. "N-No, sir," he replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Freeza and his minions stood (or rather his minions stood while he hovered) in the early morn, awaiting the arrival of Ginyu and his Force. They were said to arrive on Hachuurui's 4th hour, so a space HQ had been built there in the Flatlands some time ago for just such a purpose. Dodoria had nodded off to sleep again—something he was known for doing quite frequently—while Zarbon was lost in his own thoughts. 

Then, they saw it. It started out as a small twinkle in the sky. Soon, a sound similar to a jet cutting though the sky came about, and the small twinkle grew and split to five large spherical objects blazing like comets across the aerospace. And then……

……..in the nearby plateaus, a well-known Tokage stirred…

"Terrible sleep…" He stretched, his mouth becoming a gaping hole as he yawned. Moving less than gracefully to his feet, Berter wobbled a bit before coming to a steady position. The sleep-deprived Tokage sighed (which was slowly becoming a habit of his recently) and turn to his beast-woman, who was sleeping peacefully.

"Well, at least one of us retired easily…" 

Her features were significantly softer, the harsh looked that often adorned her face replaced with a placid appearance. "None would ever guess how nefarious you can be when you're active. I think I'm enjoying you better this way." He cracked a warm smile. The male kneeled down to get to a closer look.

Neizu was a pretty girl, by Tokage standards. She'd be even prettier if she smiled a bit more often. How dear the girl looked, curled up in the sheets the way she was. Gently, he drew the back of his hand to her face and stroked it lightly, being rewarded with a small coo of sorts.

__

Neizu… You know we're expected to live the rest of our lives together, right..? I really do care for you, I do. But if I feel my efforts are being wasted, whereas you aren't even putting forth yours, I can't be sure of what will happen to us… 

A large rapping at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Yo! Berter of Kyorusan! Escort!" The voice behind the door shouted.

__

That voice….

Berter slowly opened the door to a small slit, just enough to see out of. However, it swung open big and wide when he realized whom it was. "Riizard Mesan! You're employed beyond the adulthood camps now?"

"Aye," said the older Tokage while scratching the back of his head. "Figured it was time I started anew somespace, so I resigned as of last week. Got m'self employed as an escort. Speakin' of such, it's time I escorted you to the desired area. So hitch up and let's be off."

"Right." With that, Berter proceeded to untie his Ridre dino from the post where it was kept. Mesan looked on, a little confused.

"What..? You're not gonna tell your mate that you're leaving?"

Berter chuckled. "It's better this way," the youngster explained as he mounted the saurian steed. "If I'm familiar, she'd probably attempt to gut me for bringing her out of retirement."

That drew a chortle from Mesan. "Yeah, well….. Things'll get better. Course, I'm not one who's skill in such matters… and by the manner in which you said, your mate don't seem too hospitable…. But, hey..! At least you've got a woman!"

The young man rolled his eyes.

hr

A short while later…

"—TOGETHER, WE MAKE…. THE GINYU FORCE!!"

An awkward silence. Then…

"Yes………….." The pink tyrant cleared his throat. "At ease." The task force complied. 

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I summoned you to this planet, so I'll make this brief. The people on this planet are strong. Strong enough to be soldiers for the trade. I want you to interview these four behind me." Frieza daintily extended a hand towards the four Tokage, who stood lined up, side by side. 

"Whichever candidate you choose will be the new member of your force. Now, proceed. Choose wisely. Zarbon, Dodoria, come." With that, Frieza hovered back to his ship, his cronies following close behind.

"Of course, Lord Frieza!" The man saluted energetically as he watched his sire hovering away. "I will pick a candidate worthy of serving you!"

"'ey, Zarbon!" Jeice shouted. "D'ya wanna play a game o' high bound later?"

Instead of making a vocal reply, the Azureman smiled a warm smile and continued along his way. The receiver took that as a 'yes'. "Alright! See ya!!"

When Freeza and crew were out of sight, Recoom threw his arms up to the sky to stretch and released a lengthy yawn. "Well, I gotta say…" the red-haired giant started. "That role call was pretty weak, Captain."

"I agree," Jeice spoke up. "It's just no good without five people." The frog below was in accordance as well.

The commanding officer sighed. "You're right. The whole introduction just doesn't have the same punch as it used to…. I suppose it's my own fault for never having thought up a pose for four... But hopefully one of these guys here will have style! So, you all are the respective bests, eh..?"

"Yes, sir," one of the other Tokage replied. He had a heavier build than the rest and possessed a sloping forehead—the usually characteristics of one who hailed from the Mountainous Regions.

"…It was a rhetorical question……." The good captain sighed and put to fingers to his temple. _I can already see this day is going to be hell…. Well, orders are orders…_ "Okay! Time for one-on-one interviews! All of you, follow me!" He barked as he headed for Freeza's ship. "Recoom! Jeice! Make yourselves useful and come up with some new poses!"

* * *

After all the interviews were over and done with, Ginyu slumped back in his chair, tossing the papers he pretended to have written on over his shoulder and onto the floor. 

__

…..Well, he thought to himself. _I've got to say they had to have been **the** most boring people I've ever had to deal with. Not a bit of style whatsoever! Arrgh… But we don't have a guy with super-speed. This could turn out to be a good thing, but they're all so bland..! Water has more flavor than these guys! But Freeza expects results… Gah, what to do, what to do, what to do……_ "I've got it! I'll just go by gut instinct! Whoever I think will look best in the armor is in the force..! I'm brilliant!" 

And the end results were as follows…

* * *

"Ooooooookay! Everyone, hustle up! I've got something to say!"

The four Tokage males turn their attentions to the captain.

"After careful consideration…" Ginyu threw in a sarcastic cough, which sailed right over his audience's heads. "I've decided as to who will be inducted as the new member of my force…" 

Having said his few planned sentences, the captain scrutinized the four. After what seemed like hours pacing back and forth, he finally spoke. "Hrrrrrrmmmm………. What's your name, son?"

"Berter of Kyôrusan."

"Do you want to become stronger?"

"Truthfully, I don't hold much interes—"

"Great!!" Ginyu interrupted with much enthusiasm. "As of now, you are officially a part of the Ginyu Special Force! Go ahead, pat yourself on the back! You deserve it!" _Ha ha! Total genius!_

"Er…. Many thanks……….." _Don't I even have a choice..?_ Berter thought glumly.

"As for the rest of you, you're all free to go now. Don't bother coming back..!" The other Tokage walked off muttering while captain laughed heartily at his own rudeness. 


	17. Part 17

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 17

* * *

"So, whatcha thinkin'?"

"I was thinkin'….… I'd like some food."

"Recoom….." Jeice said with a little chuckle. "That's all you ever think about…"

Recoom scoffed. "So how about you? What're you thinking about?"

"….….You know….."

It took a moment for the passive comment to register. "….Oh. Now I get it. …What do you see in that guy..?"

"Well, he's nice, and smart… and a little vain, but he has good reason to be."

"I'll give you that. Ol' blueback is good-looking, but makin' it with another man..? That just kinda strikes me as weird—Oh. No offense to you, Jeice."

"Of course."

"Does he know? The way you feel, I mean."

"I doubt it. I don't know if I should tell him or not."

"I was thinkin' maybe—Oh, hey. It's the Captain, and one of those lizard folk." The other three members of the Force, who had been lying in the cool grass, stood to attention upon their leader's arrival.

"Gents, meet our new member, uh….. What was your name again..?"

"Berter of Kyôrusan…." The young man sighed internally.

"Berter of Krusan!!" Ginyu announced, unaware of his blatant mispronunciation. Berter muttered something under his breath, deciding it inappropriate to correct him.

"Let me introduce you to the rest of the team." He turned towards his men. "Team, introduce yourselves. We don't have time for the usual, so make it short."

"Hey there," the tall, red-haired humanoid said. "Name's Recoom. Remember it. Hmm…. Guess I'm not the tallest anymore. That's kinda disheartening…. Hey, Captain, how 'bout thinkin' up a new pose or two, considerin' the new guy's height?"

__

'Pose…?' The Tokage thought quizzically.

"Yes, yes, all in due time. Next!"

Another humanoid, this one with red-orange skin with long, white, and untamed hair came about. "My given name is _Jiizu_, but everyone around here sees fit to call me 'Jeice'. And hey…." He leaned towards the Tokage for a whisper. "People around here tend to screw up names more times than they can count, so don't think too much of it." Berter nodded in understanding.

"And my name is… Hey! I'm down here!"

He looked down to see a four-eyed frog-like creature that didn't even stand tall enough to reach his knees speaking. "As I was saying, my name is Guldo. Charmed, I'm sure."

Berter blinked. _What strange people…_ "It brings me pleasure to meet you all," he fibbed.

"And of course," the captain took a brief moment to proudly puff out his chest. "I'm Captain Ginyu, leader of the most illustrious fighting squad in the universe…. The Ginyu Special Force! But really, that goes without saying. You're lucky you were able to get in!"

"I consider it a gift from the gods...…" He displayed a fake smile as he told another little white lie.

"Well, great! Normally I'd have given a full-blown intro with poses and whatnot, but I'm kinda pressed for time… Recoom! Jeice! Guldo! Time to report back to Freeza! Hustle up!!"

"Sir!!" The three responded swiftly.

"And as for you—Berter, was it? –Make sure to come back here on your sixth hour tomorrow. We'll get you suited and start your training. Sound good?"

"If by that you're asking if the premise brings me pleasure, then yes."

"Good man. Be on your way, then."

* * *

"Hm… Her Ridre dino's gone….." The young man took notice upon his return. The absence of his mate's saurian steed gave rise to a few questions. "Well, I suppose she's out finding food. Speaking of such, I haven't eaten yet, either." 

The Ridre dino gave a few yips to make a statement. "You want something to eat, too..?" It barked excitedly in response. "And that's a 'yes', I presume." _Such intelligent creatures, these Ridre dinos…"_

* * *

They came across a grove of fruit-bearing trees, known to the natives as Zipan trees. Grinning happily, the Tokage scurried up the tree. "You wait here, Ridre dino," he called out with his head poking out of the scarlet leaves. "I'm going to find some ripe fruits."

None but minutes later, the same blue figure hopped from the tree, cradling a pile of large yellow pear-like fruits in his arms. Plopping down at the tree's base, he sat and was on his merry way to eating. Curious, the Ridre dino approached and stuck its snout close to the fruit. 

"Hmm? Do you want one?" He asked, holding out one of the many fruits in his possession.

Without warning, the dino suddenly snatched it up in its mouth and munched noisily, not caring about the juice gushing from its mouth nor the fact that more food was leaving its mouth rather than staying in. When the dino was finished with its taste test, it cocked its head at the remaining pieces of fruit, then looked up at its caretaker, who apparently understood and gave it another fruit.

"Hmm. So you like the fruit of the Zipan trees, do you?" The saur, being unable to reply (of course), just went about its loud munching. "…Alright then. If that's the case, I'll name you 'Marzipan.' Is that suitable?"

Gulping down the last bit of fruit, the Ridre dino yipped excitedly in response. "I thought so," he said with a grin and patted it on the head. And so, together they ate. 

…There is nothing quite like the bond between a man and his Ridre dino.

* * *

"You've been rather disobedient lately…. And your attitude..? Well, I don't find it amusing anymore. I'm tired of your arrogance, Zarbon…."

Zarbon's fists were clenched, and the glimmer from his golden eyes had all but disappeared. His mouth was dry, save the moisture from his own blood leaking from his nose and gums and gathering between tongue and teeth. "I've told you every time we cross this path that I would never do anything to deliberately disobey you..!"

"You're not special," Ginyu continued. "At least, not in the way you think you are. Allow me to clarify it for you…" Ginyu lumbered over the beaten Azureman and gave him a swift backhand to the face. "You are special in three ways and three ways only: One--" as if the pain bestowed upon him wasn't enough, the captain gave Zarbon a sharp kick to his stomach… "You are an Azureman. Two: --" 

…again… 

"You can transform. And three: --" 

…and again, and again, and again, each kick a bit more powerful and painful than the last. "You are a part of the Ginyu Special Force. Despite this, you are not so special that you can disregard what I tell you and do as you please." He continued to kick the man to the point of causing him to double over and vomit.

A shamed and humiliated Zarbon wiped his mouth free of blood and digestive juices.

"But I haven't …. I haven't **done** anything..!! " Zarbon shouted as best he could in his defense. "Refusing to be your callboy doesn't give you the right to do this to me!!" Totally ignoring him, Ginyu went on.

"Jeice was like you at one time-- A **lot** like you. He was arrogant, insubordinate, rude…" he trailed off. "Spoiled boys usually are. But I broke him, and I'm rather surprised that you haven't fallen in line, even after all that I've done to you. And yet……" He loomed in closer. "…with each incident, I always give you the opportunity to redeem yourself. But now, I grow weary." Ginyu slid in a hand to Zarbon's tender cheek.

"This is your last chance for forgiveness. ……I'm tired of pleasing myself, Zarbon….."

That innuendo would be the last Zarbon would tolerate. And so, he swung. The crack of his fist striking the captain's jaw was more enough to silence him. Ginyu turned back to his assailant, staring with emotionless eyes. 

"Be happy. You are no longer part of my force. And congratulations, you spoiled-rotten little boy. You're about to find out what real pain is…" 

* * *

"C'mon, Jeice. We only have two hours b'fore the bar closes."

"Hold on a minute, would ya?! I wanna see if Zarbon wants to come!"

"Jeez… Why d'ya want to invite that pantywaist along? He always orders the most expensive drinks and leaves me with the bill!" 

"As if you have to pay for it! You always have the bartender put it on your tab!" Having the last word (or rather, running away before Recoom could say anything else), Jeice galloped ahead and around the hall, calling his comrade's name.

"'ey, Zarbon! Y'down here? We're goin' out drinkin'! D'ya wanna-- Oh, my God!!" 

The aquamarine blood of the Azureman stained the floor and reeked through the halls. Most of the blood had already dried, indicating he had been there for a time. Ironically, the members of the very task force he had received a 'dishonorable discharge' from were the ones to come across his battered body.

"Zar, what happened?! Zar?! Zarbon!!" Despite the Kaijin's shouts, he would not respond. 

"Jeice? What's all the shoutin' for? What—By the tundra!!"

"'Coom! Go see if there are any tanks open!"

"What the hell happened to ol' blueback?! Why's he all bloody?!"

"Do I look like I know?!" hissed the Kaijin. "Just go see if there are any tanks open!"

"R-Right..!" The humanoid replied, and hustled back round the corner. Jeice turned his attention back to the wounded Zarbon. "Hey, Zar… Hey, come on…" He pleaded as he shook his friend's shoulders. "Zar, you've gotta wake up… Please..?" 

The thunderous footsteps of the larger humanoid's approach were heard perfectly clear as he returned with his news. "No good..." said he. "They're all either in use or under repairs."

"Shit!" Spat Jeice. "Alright… punch in the code for his room," he said, while lumbering Zarbon's unconscious frame upon his back. "I'll do what I can…"

Recoom hastily tapped the buttons in the sequence necessary to open the door to the fallen's room. Upon hearing the 'whoosh' of its unlocking and opening, Jeice ran in and kneeled to gently set the Azureman down on the tiled floor.

"'Coom," the Kaijin began, his back to the other Force member. "Go back to the chamber room. The second a tank is freed up, let me know."

"Right. Gotcha." And with that, the behemoth bolted out of the room and around the winding corridor, leaving the Kaijin to deal with the task at hand.

  
"Zar… Did the captain hurt you again..?" He asked quietly as he hoisted Zarbon's body onto his back one again, carrying him to the bathroom. Setting him down another time. Jeice trotted to the tub and turned the spigot to let the warm water flow. The Kaijin turned back to his beaten comrade and shook his head in pity. 

__

Yeah, this is his work. I once had those same kind of wounds… "……Oh! The water!" Jeice stopped the flow seconds short of the tub overflowing. "Okay, buddy. I'm gonna wash you up now."

Scooping the Azureman up in his arms, he laid him to rest in the warm mix of hydrogen and oxygen molecules. 

"Zar…" he began, taking hold of a nearby sponge. "I'm sorry you ended up like this… Truth is… I knew what was going on; we all did. But… we—I was powerless to try and stop it." It was unclear whether the Kaijin was talking to Zarbon or himself as he delicately washed the wounded's skin. He did a bit more prattling, a bit more apologizing, but not a word of it mattered. It all fell on dead ears. 

After bathing was over and done with, the Kaijin gathered him up in a towel this time and took him to the front room, which was also the Azureman's bedroom. Not wanting his sheets to be dampened, Jeice kneeled to the floor to put Zarbon down, but only seemed to make it halfway. Instead of laying his friend to the floor, he ended up cradling the figure in his arms.

Jeice ran his fingers through Zarbon's sopping-wet hair, pushing a few tendrils out of the way to get a better look at his face. He then slid a finger along his cheek, memorizing the flawless feel of his skin. He thought back to just a few minutes ago, finding his friend lying bleeding in the hall, and choked. From there, came the tears……

"Zar… I'm so unworthy… If only…. If only I was able to prevent this from happening…" He professed with eyes squeezed shut his heart-felt remorse to the Azureman. The man opened his tear-filled eyes, and brought his face close to the unconscious Zarbon's ear, and whispered:

"Forgive me…"

And with that, he ever so slowly brought his lips towards his unrequited love's….

Closer….

And closer….

And then….

Who should come barreling in, but……

"'Ey, Jeice! Good news! One of the tanks finally opened—gah!!"


	18. Part 18

****

Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 18

* * *

"I really didn't know you were like that, Jeice. Comes as sort of a shock, having known you for so long…" 

"Sorry you had to find out like that…"

"Don't apologize. Wasn't my business t' begin with…" The behemoth ran a hand through his matted red hair. "So, is Zarbon, uh……?" Jeice shrugged.

"Dunno. It'd be nice, though." The Kaijin put his hands behind his head and sighed wistfully. "Wait. Why would you be asking **me** about something like that?" He asked, feeling a bit offended.

"Well, I just assumed that you might have known..."

"Don't you know what they say about assuming? It makes an **ass** out of **'u'** and **me**."

"Right. So how about the Cap'n? Does he know?"

"…Yeah. He knows…" Actually, he had taken advantage of the fact several times... 

__

You're a good boy, Jeice. Choosing this over being beaten again? You're really great. …Mmm… A little harder… and slow down a bit. I'd hate to be accidentally bitten down on…

Jeice shuddered. It was better than being beaten again, wasn't it? "Let's not bring up the Captain anymore, okay?"

"Right. Sorry…"

Jeice settled back up against his spot on the wall and crossed his arms. "So, how long will he be in there for..?"

"Doc says about five or six hours. He was beat pretty bad, y'know..?"

"Yeah, I know. Sucky thing is, I can't do anything about it." Jeice leaned forward a bit. "If only it wasn't the Captain…"

"I just can't believe he would do something like that… "

"Of course you can't. You've never felt how cold his eyes are or how much it hurts to have his fists strike your bare flesh… or to even have him **touch** you… You had better appreciate the fact that you didn't grow up to be pretty, you damned lucky son-of-a-bitch," he finished up half-jokingly. 

The larger man stood a bit confused by the Kaijin's words. "…Somehow, I don't know whether or not to feel offended by that..." Recoom scratched his head. "Anyway, let's go have a round."

"What?!" The Kaijin shouted in disbelief. "I know you don't like him, but how can you even **think** of drinking when he's—"

"A nice quiet round," interrupted the behemoth. "You look like you could use it. Come on."

The Kaijin hung his head low. "…Fine. Whatever."

* * *

But when they arrived…

"Men…" Ginyu raised his glass to the behemoth and the Kaijin, who were standing in the doorway. "What a pleasant surprise. Bartender, one blood half and one without ice." He turned back to his men. "Come. Sit."

The two exchanged glances and took their places next to their captain. "It's a nice night for drinking, isn't it..?" He took a sip of his brew and exhaled. "I don't normally do the bar scene, but tonight I felt like I could use it."

The Kaijin clinched his fist and started toward Ginyu. "Yeah, I'll bet you could use it, you sick f—"

"Jeice!!" Recoom took a massive arm and held him back. Ginyu looked mildly surprised but then turned back to his drink. "Jeice, that's no way to talk to your captain. Do you need to be disciplined again..?"

The Kaijin shrunk, knowing all too well what he meant by that. "N-No, sir… I'm sorry. It won't happen again…"
    
    "Good boy." He reached out and petted the snow-white hair of the smaller man, who stiffened under his touch. "But I think you and I should spend some time together, anyway. After this, why don't you come with me?"

The fear Jeice had held was out in the open now, and he began to tremble. "Um… With all due respect, Captain," the behemoth started. "Jeice and I had some other things we needed to take care of. We just stopped in here for a quick drink. Er… Would you mind… canceling..?"

Recoom knew it wasn't in his best interest to speak against his captain, no matter how passively he went about it, but he couldn't just **let** him… Ginyu narrowed his eyes and glared menacingly at Recoom, whose eyes darted back and forth nervously from his captain to his glass. Seemingly amused by this, the Captain snickered and said, "Alright. Go ahead and do what you need to do." With that, he gulped down the last of his drink and hopped from his seat.

"Bartender, put the drinks on our tab." Those were the last words he uttered before disappearing from the bar.

* * *

__

Most Respectable Nurturers,

Good morrow. Things fare not so well on my side. My mate is… beast-like, to be kind. She is as vicious as a Razher dino and just as quick to bite my head off. She won't permit me to share her space during the day hours, and during the night condemns me to the floor. I am beginning to wonder if conditions will improve… Of better (or worse) news, a strange-looking fellow called Ginyu has inducted me into his task force of the same name. I am to receive fight training of sorts on tomorrow's morn. On a lesser scale, the Ridre dino you purchased for me, father? I have finally given him a name. I call him 'Marzipan' now, for the fact that he so enjoys the fruit of the Zipan trees. I hope to receive a reply from you both soon, as I'd like to know how you fare, as well. 

Your Offspring,

Berter of Kyôrusan 

"There. I'll have a courier send this when I leave to return to that place." Berter teetered back on his chair. Just then, in barged Neizu with a freshly killed dinosaur carcass slung over her shoulder.

"Hmm? Ah, Neizu. You've returned, and with fresh meat? Why, I was struck with the belief that you knew not how to hunt."

"I knew not how to **fish**, o presumptuous husband," she sneered at the last word. "But hunting I knew, and still do." 
    
    "Please excuse my ignorance," he quickly said, as not to irritate her any further. Aiming at having a somewhat tolerable day, the young man took a chance and started up conversation again. "Ah, but it is of nice size. The goddess of the hunt was good to you."

"Perhaps…" Not really in the mood for talking, especially to him, she made her way to the kitchen, but paused about halfway. "Wait. Did I not tell you to keep from my space?" 

"Why, yes. Yes, you did," Berter replied, not bothering to turn to her. "I'll show myself out, I suppose. Until tonight, then, Neizu." The male shut the door behind him. She looked back at that wooden door for a few moments, then went back to the business of preparing her meat.

* * *

The following day, on Hachuurui's sixth hour…

"To be a part of the Ginyu Special Force is to be a part of a family. Not just any family, mind you. A family of the soldiers of God is what we are."

"God?"

"Yes. The god, Freeza. He is the one true god. He controls what lives and what does not." 

"I'm not sure if I understand…"

"It would be better for you to abandon that polytheistic faith of yours. It will only complicate matters in the future. Just know this: Freeza is the mortal God. Obey him, and he will let you live in his good graces. Disobey him, and all that will be left for you is damnation. I am at the right hand of the Master and I can kill you, too, if you misbehave. Is that understood?" 

"Yes."

"Good man. Let's commence with the fight training, then."

* * *

"Your first few days of training will be conducted with me. You'll be developing ki attacks as well as your sense of style. You should feel fortunate. I don't normally waste my energy with this sort of thing. It's good for you and your people that Freeza's found a positive use for this planet." The young man wasn't sure he wanted to know the full meaning behind that and decided it best to leave it lay.

"You Tokage folk have trained with energy attacks, right?" The good captain inquired. Berter nodded. "Great! Now, I want to see your power. Pick a target and fire a small blast. Just be sure not to damage the ship or anything."

"Alright." He looked about the surrounding area for a moment, scanning for an ideal target. A small boulder seemed satisfactory. Doing as told, he released his ki and decimated the rock. As the debris cleared, he turned to Ginyu and asked, "Was that acceptable?"

"Well, that was good, but… I only wanted you to fire a **small** blast…"

"Hmm?" The Tokage turned back to his former target to find that it wasn't the only thing he had destroyed. He had also taken out the surrounding trees, as well. "Oh. But that was a small one…"

"Wha..? You mean, you weren't putting adequate power behind it at all?"

"No, sir. Was that wrong of me?"

"No, not at all. The rest of your peers… Would that have been considered a small one for them, too?"

Berter shook his head. "No, sir. I was not permitted to train with the rest of them in that area. My demonstration explains the reasoning behind it."

The good Captain, for once in his life, was speechless. _Could he really be like the rest of us..?_ He had to find out. "That tree there…" Ginyu pointed to a thick and healthy looking specimen resembling Earth's oak. "Go to it." Not bothering to question why, Berter made his way to the tall tree, and awaited further instructions.

"Punch it."

"Do what, now?" The young man looked at him, obviously confused. "As hard as you can," Ginyu continued. "With all your strength, punch a hole in that fine-standing timber." 

"You jest," the blue one said in deepened voice. "I'll surely fracture my fist." Ginyu waved a finger at the Tokage's protest. "Now, now," he scolded. "If you're going to be on this Force, you'll have to learn to do as I say. **Always**. And believe me, if you're as strong as I think you are right now, you won't get hurt." 

He looked to the tree, then back to Ginyu, who uppercutted the air and gave the young man a grizzly sidelong smile. Berter turned back to the tree and took a deep breath, formed a tight fist and reeled back, slamming his fist into that mighty object. The tree seemed to moan as its bark split and gave way to the power of the Tokage's fist. It broke straight through, and the timber toppled over. Berter couldn't believe his eyes. _Was that my doing?_ He thought.

Captain Ginyu, on the other hand, was expecting such a thing to occur. "You shouldn't be surprised," he began, while strolling over to the young man. "You're strong, stronger than all the rest, but I bet you already knew that. Tell me, have you been holding back the bulk of your strength since that day?"

Berter did not reply, but the expression on his face said it all. "As I thought," Ginyu continued. "Well, you won't have to worry about holding back any longer, not as long as you're with us. By the way, have you learned to fly?"

Berter raised an eye ridge. "But… would that not require wings?" The good captain chuckled at his newest addition's ignorance. "I guess that answers my question. We'll work a bit more with controlling your energy, then I'll give you the basics on flight."

* * *

The day had been a successful one, in Captain Ginyu's mind. The youth learned quickly, he found, as he was apt in his control and had even managed to hover by the end of the day. He would have to be sure to request a demonstration of his race's speed come tomorrow. It would be interesting having a fastball on the Force. He still had a long way to go; desensitization would be the main thing to accomplish, posing would take place later. The Captain was now making his way at a casual pace to report to Freeza, as he was one who kept on top of the interests of his empire.

"Master Freeza," he called from the outside. "I have today report as you requested."

"Enter," came the muffled confirmation.

The automatic doors whooshed as they granted Ginyu passage inside his master's quarters. Farther back sat Freeza in a most embellished chair that appeared to be trying to swallow him up. The Captain chuckled softly to himself and approached Freeza, saluting him when the appropriate distance had been reached. 

"At ease," commanded the small tyrant, to which Ginyu immediately obliged. "So, you have a report for me, correct?"

"Yes, sir," the lavender warrior replied. "The progress report for my new recruit."

"Mm. Begin."

"Sir, even though we had high expectations of the Tokage to begin with, this particular one is exceptional. I'm beginning to think he could be a mutation, like my men and myself…"

"Oh?" Freeza sounded with a bit of interest. "Well, wouldn't that be something, a task force full of anomalies… What are the chances?"

"However," he continued. "He is rather young, barely into manhood. My only concern would be when the time comes for him to kill. That could prove to be a bit of a hurdle…"

Freeza didn't appear concerned by this in the least. "Yes, having such a youth among experience soldiers **could** prove to be troublesome… Well, if he doesn't do what is expected of him here, you must simply… eliminate him. A simple solution to a simple problem."

"Of course, sir," Ginyu bowed deeply. "As always, you have the answers."

For Berter, on the other hand, the day had been a strange one, indeed. Talks of power levels, flying and posing? They were all such foreign concepts. He was still completely oblivious to what was in store for him in his training. Day at an end, the young man returned to his home. Upon his return, he found a letter attached to the front door addressed to his person. Dismounting from his Marzipan, he reached for the letter and began to read.

__

Most Humorous Son,

I really am rather amused by you. Did you think things would just start off great between the two of you as soon as you started living together? In comparison, things between your mother and I weren't exactly a bushel of Zipan fruits when we first started, either. Oh, I could tell you stories—OW!! Please excuse the interruption, as your mother has just assaulted me for my last sentence. Bother… Pain aside, it's best if you don't do anything to get her angry. It would be safer to wrestle a tri-horn than to try your luck with a woman enraged. That segment aside, your mother and I are faring quite well. She misses you terribly, though, and has been dropping hints for the want of another progeny. It would be in her best interest if you were to give us a visit once you are all settled. Perhaps that will get her mind off of such nonsense. And what is this about a task force? I can't say I am pleased with this, as it is not the sort of fighting we, as Tokage, would deem appropriate. However, if it is mandatory, you should do your best and become stronger. Fare you well, son.

Your Nurturer,

Kyôrusan


	19. Part 19

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 19**

  
  
  


"So, the Cap'n tells me you're a fast learner. You must be, to master flight in three of your days time." 

"I'm flattered…" 

"Don't be. Do you think your body can learn just as quickly?" 

"…I don't know." 

"Well, then, I guess we'll find out, won't we? Let's go to the ship." 

* * *

It had been the same throughout the next two days. Flight instruction was a thing Berter found to be rather amazing, once he got the hang of it. On his first day, he had barely managed to hover. Two days later, he was zipping around his planet's red skies as if he had been doing it all his life. It took most soldiers ten days Earth's time to keep a steady flight. Ginyu felt confident enough to let him begin strength and endurance train. With that, he handed the reins over to the behemoth, Recoom. 

Recoom brought the blue youth to a section of Freeza's ship normally used by soldiers as a rec room. For the next few days, however, it would be put to use as a training room for their newest addition. It was of moderate size, about that of your average theatre. There were several weight-training machines pushed off to the sides of the room, most of them similar to the ones sold on Earth infomercials. 

"What are all those?" 

"Hmm? Oh. All these here are machines used to build muscle, but you won't be using those today. Wait there." The behemoth went to the farthest part of the room where a few metal crates were locate and began rummaging through one of them. He re-emerged with two metallic cords in his hand. "Here." He tossed one of them to Berter, who clumsily made grasp of it. He eyed the thing in confusion, and even lowered his head to sniff it. A light, rhythmic, striking sound snapped him to attention as he found Recoom swinging his cord over his head and hopping it with each pass. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Time's a-wastin'. Do like I'm doin' and don't stop 'til you've done all you can." 

It seemed strange, but what choice did he have? Skipping rope was the agenda for the day. About an hour into it… 

"You slacker… Is that all you can manage? You barely made it to 2,000! Oh, wait. You just started this, didn't you..? Well, I guess that'll do for the moment." 

"'For the moment'..?!" Huffed the Tokage. "You… said… to do… all I could……" 

"Stop complaining. 2,000 jumps are today's shot, huh? Fine. You want some water, kid?" 

"That would be perfect." 

"There's a fountain on the opposite end of this room." Recoom pointed to it just in case he had never seen one, which was most likely the case. "You can drink all you want, if you reach it, that is…" 

A catch. "'Reach it'?" 

Smirking, Recoom headed to a sideboard containing several strap weights. He grabbed five in all: 2 for the wrists, 2 for the ankles, and 1 for the back. "Put these on." He dropped the weights in a pile in front of Berter. Shrugging, the young man did as told. The wrist weights weren't so bad for a Tokage, only about 20 lbs., the ankle weights doubling that. The back weight was tolerable, as well, weighing in at 75 lbs. It didn't take him long to reach the fountain, though he made his way at slow walking pace. The only difficulty he had was trying to operate the water machine, to which Recoom demonstrated with ease. The behemoth was mildly pleased that he reached his destination without much trouble, but that was only the first trial. Berter happily lapped up the water much in the way that a cat would. 

"Don't drink too much; you'll vomit it all up." 

"Hrrrm…" That wasn't really something he wanted to hear, but there was truth in it. Berter reluctantly cast himself away from the fountain. 

"So," Recoom began. "Do you think you could do it again?" 

"Skipping rope or walking with weights?" 

"Smart kid," said the older man, grinning. "Go to 2,000 on the rope, but this time, do it with the weights on." 

Though walking weighted wasn't so hard, jumping proved to be more of a challenge. He tripped on his first attempt. The second got him a few skips, but that was botched, as well. Recoom didn't hold it against him, though, and allowed the count to continue despite his screw-ups. He didn't know how much time had passed before the Tokage even reached the halfway point. Probably not that much, but with nothing else to do but keep count, it felt like days. In all actuality, it had taken Berter a little over 2 hours to get to 2,000, during which that old behemoth dozed a good doze and by that point didn't really care if he had reached the shot or not. 

"Hey. Hey, behemoth. Wake up." The blue one poked at the slumbering humanoid. Jarred from sleep, Recoom rubbed his eyes. "Urrrmm… Was I asleep?" Berter nodded. The humanoid chuckled. "How very un-Ginyu-like." 

"I put the weights over by the water machine. I hope that's alright." 

"Yeah, it's fine." Recoom rose to proper standing position. "So, you ready for the next trial?" 

* * *

"Check it out. I rigged it up once the Cap'n told me we'd be training you here for the time being." 

"What is it?" 

In a clearing, a contraption of several logs stood. It was almost like an incomplete hallway, but with five makeshift battering rams, each one larger than the last, jutting out from its walls. "It's a take on an invention used to build defense back on my planet. It's like this: You walk between these two walls here while I move these rams back and forth so you get hit by them and your tolerance to pain increases. I'll ram them at you a little harder each time as you progress. If you make it all the way through without collapsing, I'll give you a 10-minute break." 

_'Collapsing'?_ Berter wasn't sure he liked where this was going. His face must have been broadcasting his feelings, for the behemoth picked up on his insecurity. "Hey, you don't seem too sure. C'mon! If you're as strong as you've proven yourself to be, you'll get through it without much trouble." 

He did have a point. The last one hadn't been that big of a challenge, but still… Groaning inwardly, he placed his person in front of the first ram. "All right. Oh, and by the way, this sort of thing is usually operated one person to a ram, so there's gonna be a small pause between blows, as I've gotta run from one to the next. Now, get ready!" 

The Tokage braced himself. Recoom pushed the first ram ahead, battering Berter's side. He gritted his teeth and winced, but remained standing. "Great!" Cheered an enthused Recoom. "Now the next one!" Berter stepped up to the second ram as the humanoid ran around to the other side to operate it. He pushed it forward, a little harder this time, plugging the young man's left side. This time, a small grunt escaped the Tokage's lips. Unfaltering, he made his way to ram number 3. This one, harder still, struck him in his already tender right side, drawing a hiss from him. He resisted the urge to clutch his side and continued to the fourth ram. The behemoth was surprised; but then again, the kid **did** have those pauses in between… He'd be sure to give it a little something extra this time around. On this fourth shot, the left side was hit much harder than it really should have been, and Berter cried out, buckling from the pain. Though he righted himself without delay and progressed arduously to the final ram. 

Recoom blinked. He thought that one would have gotten him, for sure. _This kid is something else..! I won't add so much this time._ "Last one, guy. Here it comes!" Back to the right side. The Tokage squeezed his eyes shut, growling out what would have been a painful cry and doing his best to stay afoot. When the worst of the pain had subsided, he exited the 'hallway' and turned to Recoom. 

"…I'd like that break now, please." 

* * *

It had gone on for another 21 days, half a month by Hachuurui's calendar, that endurance training by Recoom. The goal had been reached, as the Tokage no longer felt pain as he passed through the rammingway, which he had appropriately dubbed it. Not feeling the need to go any further, the behemoth passed along the responsibility of training the newbie to the Kaijin, Jeice. 

Also, in that frame of time, Berter no longer found himself bothered by the cold shoulder of his mate, Neizu. On the contrary, he began to admire her stubborn streak and thought it almost cute. One day, after his training with Recoom, he presented to her some flowers, picked by his own two hands. He had heard somewhere that females liked flowers... 

She promptly threw the bouquet in his face. "Meat rather than flowers, Barter." He just laughed, expecting her to do something like that. Neizu was perplexed by this new behavior, from being dour about his situation to… cheerful? Perhaps that was a bit too strong, but he seemed happier, nonetheless. 

It wasn't as if she had any real problem with him, not at all; she just felt the need to protect herself. She had heard stories, stories of new brides who ended up with abusive mates and such. Though she didn't know how a relationship could turn to that, she knew that wouldn't be the case for her. She felt if she established her dominance, she wouldn't get hurt. But he didn't seem to be out to hurt her… Neizu wondered, just for a moment, if her behavior was still necessary at this point, but simply pushed the thought away and assured herself it was for her benefit. 

She thought the flowers were beautiful, for the record.   


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	20. Part 20

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 20**

  
  


"I'm the last person you'll be training with. I hope you're as good as the guys say." 

"I'll do my best." 

"As a Ginyu, you'll need to give 110%! Do you think you can use all that you've learned so far against me?" 

"Yes." 

"Good! Your fight training begins today!" 

* * *

"Posing: It's what we Ginyus are famous for, besides the whole 'deadliest fighting squad' thing. Not only does posing help us to have great balance, it looks awesome, too!" 

"…What?" 

"Here I'l show you. First thing, you shout the name of the faction you're in. 'Ginyu Special Force!' Then, pose." Jeice stood on his left leg, drew his right up, stuck his right arm in the air, and held the left one across his chest. "And to finish up, you shout your name. '_Jiizu!!_' Like that. Now, you try it. To save time, do the same pose I just did." 

"Um… Alright. Er… Ginyu Special Force…" 

"No no no! That's all wrong! You've got to shout it with pride! Let them know who you are!" 

"'…Ginyu Special Force..!' Like that?" 

"That was a little better. Just imagine you're fighting someone you particularly dislike or someone who had wronged you in the past, maybe a bully from your schoolin' days or something..." 

_Jerin…_ "'Ginyu Special Force!!'" The Tokage barked angrily. 

"That was **great**!! Captain Ginyu would be proud! Now, do the pose. Like this." The Kaijin re-performed his pose in case Berter had forgotten. Nodding, the blue male attempted to do the same, but reversed limbs. 

"Almost, but it's your right arm that's supposed to be up. Your left leg, too." 

"Oh." Berter corrected himself immediately. Jeice nodded in approval. "All that's left is to shout your name. Remember, with pride!" 

"**Berter!!**" 

"All right! Now putting all three together smoothly is the key, which brings us to a little thing called 'style'…" 

"What is this 'style'?" 

"Style, in this case, is the ability to perform your rolecall and poses so that they connect smoothly with those of the rest of the team. For instance, if we were to perform rolecall at the same time, we'd have to be sure to start and finish at the same time, so it's like a big choreography. That usually won't be the case most of the time, so I'll just move on to turns. We form a 'V' and go in order from left to right, outside to inside. That's height-dependent, by the way, so unless Ginyu just puts you where our old guy used to be, you'll be starting off." 

"Mm-hmm." 

"Let's do a practice run so you can really get the feel of it. Do the same pose as last time. After me, now. 'Ginyu Special Force!'" Jeice got down on bended knee and held his arms up to form a 'V'. "'_Jiizu!!_" 

"'Ginyu Special Force! Berter!!'" 

"Louder! 'Ginyu Special Force! _Jiizu!!_'" 

"'Ginyu Special Force!! Berter!!'" 

"Once more! 'Ginyu Special Force!! _Jiizu!!_'" 

"'Ginyu Special Force!! BERTER!!'" The last part came out as a partial roar and echoed across the landscape. 

"Woah… I think that last one was a bit much…" The Kaijin chuckled nervously. 

"That was… amazing," said a psyched Berter. "I feel powerful, as if I could wrestle Rahzer dinos." 

Assuming that what he spoke of was a somewhat difficult task, Jeice nodded in agreement. "That the power you get from posing and rolecall. Our poses show off the peak physical conditions of our bodies, and our loud shouts scare the fear of death into our enemies. That's what the Captain told me. You seem to be really into it. That's good. Our last guy didn't take it as enthusiasticaly as you. Said it was downright silly, he did." 

"Well, I know not of this person, but I do know that this 'posing' is something to be regarded highly of." 

"Good man!" The Kaijin cheered. "You'll make a great Ginyu, yet! But now I suppose we should move on the fighting part of your fight training. You already know how to fight, right? Show me what you've learned and come at me." 

"Yes." Pushing off, Berter rushed and swung at Jeice, who, despite the speed of the assault, dodged it effortlessly. That last one unsuccessful, the Tokage sent a jab flying toward the Kaijin's face. Jeice ducked under the large blue fist and countered with a hard straight to his opponent's abdomen. Berter, growling from the force of his blow, lifted his leg to deliver a sharp kick, but was knocked off his feet by a sweeping kick from the other man. 

"Hey! Care to continue this in the air?" The Kaijin called out while ascending. 

"Quite!" The blue one wasted no time. Advancing from below, he came at Jeice with great speed. He extended his leg, hoping to get him with a flying kick. In spite of him barely managing to dodge that one, Jeice chuckled at his opponent's efforts, then powered up and launched a sizable ki ball at him. Berter crossed his arms in front of himself and blocked the hot energy ball, receiving a slight burn, then assaulted the smaller man with a flurry of kicks and punches, all easily dodged or blocked. Suddenly, Jeice tried for a quick jab, but unfortunately for him, extended it too far. The Tokage decided to take advantage of his opponent's miscalculation by grabbing his arm and swinging him around by it, sending him hurtling toward the earth. 

"There ya go!" Jeice acclaimed, then halted his speedy descent. "That was pretty good for your first mid-air fight. Come on down." Jeice touched down on the ground below. Berter shrugged and did as told. 

* * *

"You seem to be a better fighter in the air than on ground. I think our height difference had a lot to do with that, but nevertheless, we'll have to build up your terra combat skills. Probably should've gone it longer, though." 

"If I may, who was the person here last? The 'old guy' you mentioned several times today?" 

"He's an Azureman. You've probably seen him before. Humanoid, 'bout ye taller than me." He raised his hand a few inches above his head to demonstrate. "He's got powder blue skin and long, green, braided hair…" The smaller man sighed wistfully. 

"Yes. He delivered a message to me once. Were you friends, you two?" The Kaijin nodded. 

"Yes. Good partners and better friends…We used to find grassy areas like this and talk, just like we're doing now." 

"You must miss him, then." 

"I do. I loved him." The Kaijin covered his mouth, though the other didn't seem to pick up on it and continued on the topic. 

"What happened?" 

Jeice sighed, not really wanting to unearth bad memories. "Lots of things go on between us guys of the Ginyu Force- some good, some not so good. You're better off not knowing, but for your own safety, I advise you not to do anything to get the Captain angry." 

"Hm. I see… Perhaps you and I could be friends, then." 

He looked up at that blue man, who was staring off into space, stern looking as ever, and smiled. "Thanks, man." 

"You're welcome." 

Feeling a bit more relaxed, the Kaijin eased back and laid in the grass. "This place is nice. Let's come back here and talk again when we return to this planet." 

Berter raised a bumpy brow. "What do you mean 'return'?" 

"Didn't Ginyu tell you? In another 21 of your days, you'll be coming into space with us to carry out the rest of your training." 

"The outer space?!" 

"That's right." 

Berter couldn't believe his audibles. He had to leave the planet—his planet—to travel amongst the stars in 21 days time? The weight of it hit him like a fist to the face. Suddenly, he didn't feel so well. "Is this the end for today..? I… feel ill." 

"Well, we still have a few more things to work on, but if you're not up to it, I guess we can call it quits a little early." 

"Many thanks… I'll be departing, then. Farewell." 

"Bye. Hope you feel better." 

* * *

All that mattered to him now was knowing home. He wanted to see his nurturers, wanted to see the Zipan tree grove for which he named his saurian steed. He wanted… to scoop his mate up in his arms and … and… 

He didn't want to leave. It was as simple as that. And who knew if he would ever be able to return? The red mammalian said they would, but how long until then? The dull background buzz he had gained upon hearing the sudden news had turned into a full-blown migraine, and all he could think about was getting home to his mat on the floor and sleeping his stress away. His stress would continue to climb, it seemed, as Neizu had been the first thing in his sights with the opening of his homestead's door. 

"What are you doing back so soon?" She asked, more annoyed than curious. But her feeling of annoyance was soon dissipated upon the sight of his face. His expression seemed desperate, pained… She felt a string of compassion tug at her, but quickly worked to harden her heart and wait for his reply. 

"Neizu…" Even his voice sounded desperate. "I need to speak with you." He closed the door behind him and pulled up a chair next to her. "I was brought a bit of bad news not too long ago, though to you, it may be music." He smiled sadly and continued, "At this month's end, I'm leaving the planet." 

"'Leaving the planet'?!" She reiterated in disbelief. Berter nodded. 

"Yes, with those Freeza people to the outer space." 

Neizu said nothing. Frankly, she thought he was lying. She had heard of cases of abandonment. He had finally had it with her, it seemed, and planned to leave, making up some wild story for his cover. It was insulting, really- the thought of carrying on with the title of a jilted mate, but if it got him out of her hair, metaphorically speaking… 

"…I was told we'd return, but as to when? That is unknown to me. I'm sorry… for not having as good of a relationship as I had hoped for us. I'll try to do for you all I can while I'm still on-planet, yourself permitting." 

What was all this now? He was apologizing for their current mess? It wasn't his fault; he hadn't done anything but what she demanded of him. The blame was squarely on her shoulders. She who had been so cold and harsh like the peaks of the Mountainous Region… 

"You may do as you please," she said, being colder, still. "Are you finished?" 

"I suppose so… If it's all right with you, I'd like to retire." 

Neizu crossed her arms. This affair was awfully elaborate for an abandonment case. "As you like. Just be off by the time I return. The hunt calls... " 

"Bring back a big one," he joked, then made his way to the bunk. Neizu sighed exasperatedly and started for the door. She extended her arm to push it open, but slowly brought it back to her person. The young woman turned in the direction of the bunk and made her way to that, instead. She opened the bedroom door a tiny crack, just enough to peer through. She found in there her mate to be undressing himself, his back turned to her. It hadn't been the first time she had seen him do this for retirement, but it was usually dark and she didn't care. It was the first time, however, that she had actually **watched**… 

And it was also for the first time she had seen his scar. 

There is something about scars that is very appealing to Tokage females. This one couldn't have been self-inflicted, she knew. He had to have gotten it in battle or with a larger animal. She wondered what it felt like, and imagined her hands feeling, roaming all over his cicatrix… 

She rushed out the door and scolded herself for having such thoughts, though all the self-reproach she had could do little to dismiss the blush on her face. 

* * *

Fight, fight, get along. Fight, try some more… Twenty-one days had passed like the fleeting wind. On the morning of the departure… 

"Neizu, I'm taking leave…" 

"Mm." She didn't even look up. 

"Um… Please mind my Marzipan." 

"Uh-huh." 

"And if you could, please send my letter to the courier today." 

"I shall." 

"……I love you." 

Neizu shot right up. She looked at him with widened eyes and was struck silent. It wasn't a commonly uttered phrase between Tokage couples. The mentality was, if one had love for his or her mate, it was understood. There wasn't a need to express it in words. He was never out to harm her in any way. He was just doing what he was supposed to do: being her mate. She had misunderstood, then, and was realizing it all too late. 

"Well, until the latter day…" Berter smiled warmly, then turned his back to exit. 

"Berter…" 

It was his turn to be surprised. He spun around to meet her, but she chose to keep her back to him. "…You're not… abandoning me, right..?" 

The young man gaped. Abandonment of a mate? He had never heard of such a thing. Was she afraid that…? He encircled his strong arms around her in a loving embrace and said softly, "I would never. I'll just be away for a time, that's all." 

"…Be careful. It's quite dangerous in the outer space."   


  


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	21. Part 21

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 21**

  
  
  


"So, you ready to head into space?" 

"I suppose so…" 

"You look nervous. You're not gonna vomit, are ya? 

"No, I'm fine." 

"You're gonna like the life of a space fighter. It's full of action, adventure—" 

"—and booze!" The Ginyus laughed heartily. Berter just scratched his head. 

"Seriously, men," started Ginyu, getting out his last few laughs. "We don't have time to joke around. It's almost launch time and we aren't even in our pods yet. Berter, right? You go and head over to Freeza's ship. We'll arrive at our destination in about 2 ½ days, or 70 hours (28 hrs/day). And if you happen to encounter Freeza, be sure to bow deeply and address him as 'Lord' or 'Master'. Got that?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Good man. You're learning already. Well, men, let's hustle!" 

* * *

The initial takeoff had been a bit turbulent. The main engines caused a bit of rumbling during the launch, but things became smooth when they exited the atmosphere. Berter brought himself to one of the violet-tinted windows and looked to his Hachuurui, now nil but a faint, glimmering ruby in the space. He felt awed to be seeing such a thing. He hadn't imagined that this was how the planet actually appeared. The Tokage pressed a palm against the domed window and watch as the last sights of his home faded into the blackness of the void. "From my home on the Saurian Planet into the unforgiving cold of the outer space…" He sighed. 

"Hey, you." 

The young man turned to meet a familiar-looking Azureman. "Oh, it's you again. Hello." 

"You are Ginyu's newest addition. Am I correct in saying so?" 

"Yes. You must be the Azureman the red humanoid spoke of." 

"That I am. You must be pretty special, getting on that Force…" 

"Not really. He seemed to just be picking at random…" 

"That Ginyu…" Zarbon approached the Tokage and raised his arm to touch the lizard's shoulder, though due to their differences in height, fell short and resulted in resting his hand on the taller's chest. Berter stiffened under the unfamiliar warmth, but the Azureman did not withdraw. 

"I'm going to tell you a little something about that Minotaurus, the 'good' Captain Ginyu, so pay attention." Zarbon lowered his voice. "Ginyu's a madman, a pervert who primarily picks on handsome young men not much taller than himself, but just because you're ugly doesn't mean you're safe. For your own personal well being, don't do anything to get him mad; it'll save you a lot of pain. However, if worse come to worse, no matter what terrible things he might do to you, always uphold your pride. It's the one thing he can't break. That is, if you don't let him." The smaller man then backed off. "Now, come on. I'll show you to your temp quarters." 

It was strange. This was the second time someone had warned him of the fury of his leader. He was beginning to wonder if he **should** be concerned with his well being. So far, there hadn't been any troubles— There hadn't been a reason for any—, but if this was any indication of what was in store for him, it certainly wasn't a welcome one. 

Seventy long hours spent travelling through the dark, dark space… Berter spoke with Zarbon whenever they met, but those times were few and far between. Zarbon was oft at Freeza's side and had little time for chitchat, but when he did, the conversations were mostly forewarnings concerning the bullman captain. The destination had finally been reached, and the giant space vessel was making its landing on the deck of Freeza Planet No. 79. The Ginyu Force was the first to depart and the first to arrive, and were all lined up and waiting for their master's entry. Berter, on the other hand, was just awaiting permission to leave. He had been told by Zarbon an hour prior to touchdown time to stay in the temp barracks until further notice. 

"Hey, you," came a familiar voice from outside his door. "Come on out. Time to leave." 

The door whooshed as Berter stepped into the corridor. There was Zarbon, that old blue-skinned beau, but who was that beside him— A small, pink, horned creature inside a hovering vessel? "What are you doing?" The Azureman spat. "This is Lord Freeza! Show your respect!" 

_What?! This is him?! ……Oh!_ The Tokage bowed quickly and deeply. "Master, forgive me. This is my first time seeing you…" 

Freeza smiled. "It's quite all right. You shouldn't be so harsh, Zarbon. After all, he's new. So," Freeza hovered a little closer. "You're Captain Ginyu's new man?" 

"Yes, sir." 

The pink tyrant pulled his face into a smile once again. "Be sure not to disappoint him or myself." 

"Of course, sir." He bowed again. 

"Now, come along. The rest of your team is expecting you." 

* * *

"Welcome to your new home, buddy!" Recoom threw his arm around Berter's side. "This is Freeza Planet No. 79! When you're not out 'preparing' planets with the rest of us, you'll spend most of your days here." 

"That's right," Jeice added. "You'll love it. This place has everything! You can build some extra muscle in the weight room, go to the rec room play a game or two, or our personal favorite: head over to the bar and drink the night away!" The Ginyus laughed the good laugh. 

"Drinking jokes aside," Captain Ginyu puffed out his chest. "It's very unstylish to loiter, which is exactly what we're doing. Our man here needs a battle jacket, so let's go suit him up." 

They escorted the Tokage to a locker room of sorts. The bullman captain took it upon himself to accompany him into the actual room; the others awaited their return in the corridor. "Take off that shaggy garb of yours," commanded the Captain, searching through the individual lockers for the gear he'd put aside. "We've got some new stuff for you to sport." 

_'Shaggy'..?_ Though a little thrown off by the comment, Berter disrobed. Ginyu stole a quick glance over his shoulder at the near nude man. Despite being a bit top heavy, he had a runner's body—that much was certain. The attire he picked out would look great on him. "Just fold those old rags up and set 'em on that bench beside you. Ah! Found it. Here put these on." He tossed him a pair of black pants, white boots, and two bangles, then went about detaching the battle jacket. "So, how's the fit?" 

"The pants are… a bit tight…" 

"You're just used to those baggy pants your kind wear. Give it some time. The wrist guards will really accent the ensemble, I think." 

"Perhaps. …What are these white things you've given me?" 

Somehow, he wasn't surprised. "They're called boots. You wear them on your feet." 

Berter slipped them on. "How very… uncomfortable." 

Ginyu shrugged. "Hey, unless you have toes on all the sides of your feet, you're wearing them." A metal shifting sound signified the release of the armor. "There we go." The Captain brought the battle jacket over to its new owner. "This is your battle jacket. Just stretch it over your head and put your arms through. …Hey, not bad. That's it, then. Wait here." Ginyu exited the locker room. 

"Men," he began. "May I present to you, our newest member… Berter!! ………" Ginyu poked his head back into the room. "Hey, that's your cue!" The Tokage emerged, a little embarrassed. 

"Hey! Pretty awesome!" 

"Definite '10' on the style meter!" 

"Snazzy!" 

The Ginyus applauded their sharp dressed man, who smiled politely but didn't really see what there was to clap about. A loud, gurgling sound interruped the acclamation. "Hey, Cap'n, how 'bout some eats?" Recoom asked, clutching his stomach and grinning awkwardly. 

The Captain chuckled a little. "Sure, why not? This'll give newbie here a chance to show himself off. Besides, I'm hungry, too. To the mess hall, then." 

* * *

"This place has got the best food around! Of course, you can't get any ursine meat here, but it'll do." 

"What's an ursine?" 

"It's a big, grizzly land mammal hunted for food and fur on Planet Kyokutair," Ginyu replied. 

"And don't mind him," Jeice added. "Everytime we come here, he goes on and on about how nothing is as good as the flesh of Kyokutair animals." 

"I didn't think it was all that good, personally," Guldo threw in his two cents. 

Recoom shook a finger. "That's because you all didn't give me time to pick out a nice, fat one. You were all complaining about the cold, so I just picked out the first one I saw—a sickly, old female—to make you guys happy." 

"Don't misunderstand." It was Ginyu's turn to speak again. "You did make us happy… when you said you were ready to head back." Jeice and Guldo laughed. That one even drew a chuckle from Berter. "Let's face it: We're all from planets with much, much warmer climates than your planet. Of course we wouldn't be able to deal with that arctic cold." 

"Of course. How inconsiderate of me…" He turned his head, feeling notably insulted. "So, then, Berter..?" He turned to the younger man, trying to change the subject. "How d'you like this place so far?" 

"…I can't say. I've only seen your launching pad and this dining hall. It was strange, though, on that ship. I felt as if something was amiss." 

"You're just a little homesick. That's understandable," the Kaijin analyzed with a non-chalant air. "Don't worry about it. That's just how men grow. Hey, that sounded really good. Make sure I write that one down, you guys." 

Recoom laughed. "Who're you foolin'? You probably had that one planned for years." 

"So what if I did? It helped, didn't it?" 

"Okay, okay. Calm down, you two." Once again, it was Ginyu to play the role of Dad. "Hurry and finish up, you guys. I have to move on with newbie's training." 

* * *

"This is where your training ends. If you can get through this without breaking, you'll be set for the rest of your days here. Welcome to desensitization training." 

"Desensitization? What are you planning?" 

Ginyu did not reply. Instead, he went to the opposite wall and pressed a small button, an openway to a comm system. "Send her in." 

A few seconds later, two guards escorted a sickly looking humanoid child into the room and left. The small girl took a look at the Tokage and Minotaurus and promptly scooted herself as far away as she could in a scared little huff. Confused, Berter turned to his captain and asked, "Sir, why is this child here?" 

"A training tool. She's here to die." 

"What?!" 

"You'll have to get used to doing things like this in the future, so put here out of her misery, already." 

He turned to that little girl, who had her knees drawn up to her chest and was sobbing softly. "You can't expect me to—" 

"Yes, I can. We are soldiers of a conquering god. Killing lower life forms is part of our job. Just think of this as if you were hunting one of your dinosaurs." 

"I'm not going to **eat** a child…" The young man growled. Ginyu was becoming a bit fed up with the other man's refusal, but gave it one last go. 

"You have so much potential. I really don't want to have to kill you, but I will if you're disobedient. It's up to you. What's more important in your eyes: your own life or that of a child that you've just seen? Either way, someone's going to die today." 

Berter looked at that frightened pup, angered that he had been **ordered** to extinguish her life. He didn't have that right. No one did. Then, his thoughts shifted to Ginyu. Maybe, just maybe… 

"And don't think about doing anything as suicidal as trying to fight me," Ginyu called him out. "You may have been born super-strong, but you don't have half the experience necessary to tangle with me. Now, this is the last time I'm going to tell you. Blast that girl to Hell!" 

No way out of it, then. Slowly, he approached the small child and stuck out his hand. "...I'm sorry." 

Her shriek would forever echo in his mind. How it must have felt, to be enveloped in that hot energy and feel one's body be burned to nothing. All that remained of the small child was a puff of black smoke.   
In the background, Ginyu nodded in approval. "Good man. You're one step closer to being a top-notch space fighter." 

"Don't call me that," snarled the young man. "Good men don't kill people. It would have been different if she had been an opponent, and we agreed mortal combat, but that… that was outright murder." He hung his head. "…The gods will never forgive me…" 

The Captain shrugged. "Whose gods? Your only god is Freeza, and to him, this sort of thing is a good work, so stop complaining. You've still got X many 'training tools' left to destroy." 

* * *

"You guys should have been there! He was blasting people left and right. Men, women, kids, little old ladies… KERPLOW!! I did good to pick this fella, I did! Good man!" 

The Captain threw back a bottle of beer, excited as ever, though more due to the alcohol coursing through his veins than with his new member's actual deeds. The other Ginyus just laughed. Berter, meanwhile, silently stewed. Thirty-six lives had been destroyed by his hands, and those **horrible** people had the gall to laugh and joke about it. 

Ginyu had purchased a round from the bar to celebrate the day, and he and his men retreated to the rec room for a drink (though, technically, that was against the rules), chasing out the lower riffraff dwelling there at the time. "We had a bit of a rocky start at first," the bullman continued. "But then, he got right into it. BLAM! POW!! KA-BLOOEY!! I don't know how many he managed to kil--" 

"Thirty-six." 

The others turned to the blue man. "You had me kill thirty-six people today…" 

Ginyu blinked then raised his beer bottle in a congratulatory fashion. "Thirty-six! A good number!" 

"And still, you go on like that..." Berter was growing even angrier now. "…I loathe you…" 

Ginyu lowered his arm and looked at the young man with mild surprise. The other men just gaped. That alone would have gained anyone else a trip to the rejuvenation tank. The Captain glared at Berter, then turned back to his drink. "What do you want..?" he asked. "You did your job well, so I congratulated you. Isn't that good enough?" 

The Tokage abruptly stood up and plowed his fist into the table, smashing it in two. Recoom, Jeice, and Guldo frantically tried to calm him down. The last thing any of them wanted was for him to enrage Ginyu, for his safety as well as for the morale of the team, but he wouldn't hear of it. He bore his fangs as he practically roared in his captain's face. "You laugh about making a murderer of me?! How can you…?! No, how **dare** you!! You jest like that… You… You're evil!!" 

The Captain looked up at him for a moment. "No, not evil," came the calm reply. "Just professional." 

What happened next was the worst thing he could have possibly done. Before he even realized it, his fist was colliding with the Minotaurus' skull. The other men knew there was no doubt about it—that kid was going to die. Ginyu's head bobbed back a bit from the force of the blow, but he quickly righted himself and laid eyes on the aggressor. Still as calm as before it had happened, Ginyu stood from his seat and stood erect to meet the taller lizard man. 

One blow to the stomach was all it took to bring him down. Berter hadn't remembered even seeing him move. All he knew was that he was facedown on the floor, couldn't breathe very well, and that everything was getting dark. 

"I'll excuse the ignorance of youth only once!" Ginyu growled from above. "If you **ever** try anything like that again, you'll wake up dead!! Got that?!" 

He didn't hear a word of it. 

"Um, Cap'n…" Recoom took the risk of speaking at such a tense moment. "…He's not moving…"   


  


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	22. Part 22

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 22**

  


_"I missed you. What was it like there, in the outer space..?"_

_"Frightening. You were correct in saying so, that time ago. How fares my Marzipan?_

_"Well, as does my Jaccwelyn. …Were you not going to ask how I fared, as well?"_

_"Of course I was…"_

_"For future reference, you should always ask the condition of your mate before that of your steed."_

_"Ah, my apologies."_

_"Well received. Come. I'm sure your daughter would love to meet you."_

  


* * *

  
"Hey, wake uuuuuupppp!!!" 

Berter shot up, fist drawn back instinctively, and bared his fangs at the would-be aggressor. Several seconds passed by   
before he realized it was a startled Jeice. Relaxing, the Tokage slumped and placed a hand on his scaled head. 

"What was that, just now?" The Kaijin inquired. He then shook his head. The answer, he was sure, could wait until later. "Man, you better thank your gods that you're alive. You're lucky he let you off with just a gut punch. I thought I warned you about getting Ginyu angry…" 

"…W…hat..?" 

"Hmm… You're still a little groggy from the tank. Not surprised. It **was** your first time in there, even if it was only for a little over a   
half-hour." 

"Wassa… tan…k..?" 

"It's what we use to heal ourselves if we get hurt pretty badly. Ginyu feared you might have had some internal bleeding or something so he put you in the tank right away. Piggybacked ya right to it, he did. Still, I think just putting you to bed would've done just as well, but hey…" 

"…Hungry……" 

"Figured you would be. You didn't eat too much at the mess hall earlier, so I brought you some soup. Eat up." 

"…….Tastes bad…" 

Jeice shrugged. "Well, hey, you basically eat whatever moves, right? So I guess that wouldn't say much for your pallet." 

"Do, not…" He slurped down the contents of the bowl to support his retort. Jeice chuckled. 

"Yeah, I thought that might get you. How you feelin'?" 

"Better." The Tokage looked about. He found his person armorless and in a strange bed. "…Where am I..?" 

"In your quarters. You don't remember? 'Coom lugged you over here after your tank time was over." 

"'Coom?" 

"Recoom. Y'know, the behemoth." Jeice shifted from his position on the stool to the foot of Berter's bed. "…I'm really glad he didn't kill you. You just came on board, —y'know? —and you seem like a pretty cool guy. But that temper…" The Kaijin tsked. "Gotta watch that from now on, B, else you're gonna find yourself being in the tank **a lot** more." 

The Tokage sighed. He didn't regret his actions a bit, but the humanoid was right. He'd have to watch what he let leave his mouth from now on. "Anyway," Jeice continued. "Ginyu said he wants to talk with you. Make a right from this room, and he'll be at the end of this hall. He's gotyour battle jacket, too. When you're up and able, you can get with him whenever." 

"Alright." 

"…He's going to punish you when you go in there…" 

"Was it not enough to render me unconscious?" 

"Well, you got him really mad… It's in your best interest not to fight back. Just let him get it over with, y'understand?" 

He glared at the Kaijin. "…I'm not going to let him get me again, Jeice." 

"Are you even listening to me? Gah, you're just like Zarbon, always acting the stubborn fool for the sake of dignity!" 

Though the smaller man was visibly upset, Berter maintained a non-chalant air. "Don't overreact so. The situation will fare well." 

"Well, fine, then! Go on and make things worse for yourself! If you want to lead the tank life, you go right ahead!" 

* * *

  


"You wanna fight me, boy?!" _SOK!!_ A right to the jaw. "What's wrong? Where's that fire of yours now?" 

Why hadn't he just listened to Jeice? He just had to go and attempt to fight back… One would have thought he'd have learned from being in the rejuvenation tank not to mess with the Captain, but that one would have been wrong. Perhaps that was what Ginyu meant by the ignorance of youth. 

The Minotaurus tore into the young man mercilessly, ramming him with countless blows to the head and gut, and throwing in a few ki-blasts for a bit of variety. He wasn't out to kill him, though; he was just showing him who was in charge of who, even if the lesson required him to pull his punches. Even with pulled punches, he still managed to make a mess of Berter. His right wrist, he knew, was shattered, and his left eye had been beaten black. He probably wouldn't see out of it correctly after the ordeal. The man's mouth was completely bloodied, and even the small nostrils, normally kept closed, were open and had blood flowing from them. The Tokage was on the floor of the high bound court, (which is where Ginyu always took his men for these types of punishments) doubled over and spewing the contents of his stomach all over, gasping for air when it was done. This isn't to say that Ginyu was done, not at all. He walked up to that ailing Tokage and gave him a swift kick across the face, causing him to skid along the floor and violently collide with the joining wall. 

The bullman captain rested his foot on the writhing being's abdomen as if he had made a glorious kill. "What is the name of the force that you're on?" He asked. 

"The Ginyu Special Force," Berter replied, spitting out blood as he spoke. 

"Who is the leader of the Ginyu Special Force?" 

"You are…" 

"No!!" Ginyu swung his leg around and brought it into the young man's stomach for a powerful heel drop. Its receiver writhed and groaned. "Now, who is the leader of the Ginyu Special Force?!" 

"..Ginyu is..!" Perhaps an answer in the third person was what he was after? 

"Correct!!" Ginyu delivered another heel drop to him. The Tokage cried out sharply. "And why is it called the Ginyu Special Force?" 

He coughed. "…Because Ginyu is its leader!" 

"And who is not the leader?! Who is under my foot right now?!" 

"Uhn… Berter of Kyôrusan..!!" 

"Yes!! And you—" Heel drop. "had best—" Heel drop. "remember it!!" Elbow drop to the gut to finish up. He stood over that pained figure, blood flowing from his lips, and shook his head. "You really need to straighten up, Berter. I can't afford another Zarbon on the team. I'll have Recoom help you to a tank." And then he left, just like that. 

Berter closed his eyes and waited for the pain to subside. He had never known such misery. Not even Jerin had ever beaten him that badly. He wanted to at least sit up, but couldn't find the energy to do even that. The best he could do was roll over on his side so as not to choke on his own blood. 

* * *

About two weeks (Freeza Planet Standard Time) had passed since the events of that day. Killing wasn't such a thing anymore for Berter, who decided to think of it as part of his daily routine. No more outbursts had erupted, Ginyu noted, and found that his newest addition was loosening up a bit. He had even agreed to go out for a few drinks with the rest of them. But once again, the time for work soon showed itself… 

"Ugh… Poison: that's what it was." 

"Well, it is in large amounts, but for a guy your size and weight, you only drank enough to get pretty wasted." 

"Pain like this shouldn't exist. _Groan_…" 

"It's called a hangover. You should watch how much you drink next time." 

"…No next time. Never again… Urp…" 

Berter hunched himself over the tub basin once again and wretched. Jeice simply sat beside and rubbed the younger's back until he   
finished. The Kaijin recalled a time where he had been with Zarbon like this and chuckled to himself. "Feelin' better?" 

"Some, yes. I think I'm done…" The Tokage picked himself up real slow and rose to his feet. He was a pitiful sight, his brow sweating bullets and his lizard face drooping like that of an Earth hound's. 

"Jeez, you look a mess, and smell it too." Jeice held his nose half-jokingly. "I guess the tub's out. You'd best get yourself to the sink and wash. Suit up, too. We're about to go into space on assignment." 

* * *

The pod platforms were running smoothly, a good sign. Upward they rose to the launching dock, each carrying its own Force member   
to higher limits. Ginyu puffed out his chest and breathed sharply through his nose: a thing he always did before heading out into space. A proud man, he was, going head first into weightlessness to defeat aggressives, pacifists, militarists, and innocents, all in the name of Freeza. Even at his age, going into space still excited him. "Men, we're off! Onward, to Beelzebub!" 

"Beelzebub? The hell's that? Some kind of food?" The behemoth asked, a sloppy mess from the night before. 

"Yes, Recoom, it's a food, and we're going into deep space to get it…" Ginyu sighed. The behemoth could be so dumb sometimes it   
was downright shameful. "**Planet** Beelzebub," the Captain clarified. "Apparently the elites couldn't cut it, so it looks like we'll have our   
pockets lined when all is said and done." He chuckled. 

"Must be pretty strong, then…" Guldo took a break for a yawn. "…If those guys couldn't handle 'em. What's there on Beelze-whatzit?" 

"Zebubs. They're giant, flying insectoids, and they strike in large numbers. That's all the information we've got." 

"Sounds serious," Jeice commented, raking a hand through his hair. "Hope we make it back before dinner." 

"Dinner of 14 days from now, maybe," Ginyu chuckled again. "It takes seven to get there and seven to get back, so you won't be having a decent meal for a little while, I'm afraid." Just then, Ginyu noticed Berter sitting with his head between his knees. "Hey, newbie, how you holding up?" 

The Tokage groaned. Ginyu just shrugged. "You gotta learn. If you want to hang with us, you gotta hold your beer. But I suppose you did have an awful lot of it, didn't you..? In any case, you've got 7 days to sober up before we get there. Just think, you're first real fight in space! You should be excited! And hey, you'll need this." 

He tossed to Berter a strange device. Well, not so strange. The Captain was wearing one, as well as Jeice and Recoom. "It's a scouter. You mount it to you face. It detects and measures one's battle points. I taught you about that, right? Of course I did." The platforms jerked to a stop. "Okay, men. Load into your pods and brace for blastoff. See y'all in seven days." 

* * *

They touched down on Beelzebub later than expected, off by about 14 hours. To Freeza, time meant money, and the more time you took, the more money he lost. Therefore, the more time you took, the more money **you** lost. It didn't mean much to the Ginyus, though. As long as they had enough for beer and snacks, they were set. As the dust and debris cleared and the earth below settled, the mechanical sounds of five spacecraft opening filled the area. The Captain stood proudly and stuck out his chest. He took on a expression that seem to broadcast the want for a challenge, as if a new frontier was open to him, and only he could conquer it. The Minotaurus took in a deep breath… and promptly choked. 

"…Aw, jeez! It stinks!!" 

It was a terribly overpowering stench that ambushed their nasal cavities. The entire area reeked of rotting flesh, a fact made perfectly clear by the mammals, which pinched their nostrils and complained of the odor. But Berter and Guldo, having the luxury of being descended from water-dwelling creatures, kept theirs shut and went about it like nothing was wrong. 

"Ugh… What would Freeza want with such a stinky planet..?!" Whined Ginyu, though with his nose pinched the way it was, he sounded more like: 'Ugh…Wud would Freeza wand wid such a sdnky planed..?!' Come to think of it, what **would** he want with such a planet? A planet with a barren, cracked landscape, hot, dry weather, and air rank as hell. Only insectoids would value such a place. Freeza struck up a deal with some, maybe? Ginyu shook his head. It wasn't his place to think about such things. 

"Do you hear that?" 

The other Ginyus turned to Berter, who was squinting out to the mountain-lined horizon. "Hear what, Berter..?" 

"Buzzing……" 

That buzzing sound came into earshot for the others soon enough, but what was that coming into view? Some sort of dark cloud… An   
approaching storm? No, it was much too low for that, and it wouldn't explain the buzzing, besides. Just then, it clicked. 

"Holy hell..?! That's a swarm of insects!" 

"No, insectoids! It's the Zebubs!" 

The massive swarm of fly-like creatures cloaked the orange sky as it headed in the Force's direction. Weaving, bulging, moving as one and cutting the aerospace. "Should we attack, Cap'n?" Inquired the behemoth. 

"'Swhat we're paid for. Men, power up and let loose!" The Ginyu Force ripped it all out against the approaching Zebubs, letting their offensive energies fly. The blasts hit dead-on, blowing out the center of the insectoid bevy and leaving a blanket of smoke. The five men stood still and quiet, awaiting any sign that the Zebubs might still exist. 

Nothing. No buzzing, no pick-up on the scouters, no anything. Ginyu wiped his sweaty brow. "Well, I guess that's it for now. Good work, men. I think this calls for a quick victory pose, don't you?" 

"Together we are… " 

Their chant was cut short, however, as erupting from the ground came maggots— giant, slimy, disgusting maggots, each about the length of an average adult human's arm—which jumped the Force without warning. Their slimy bodies wrapped around each member, burning their skin with their ooze—digestive juices, rather—and constricting their bodies. Ginyu struggled to free himself from those larval creatures. If he could just get his face free… The Minotaurus jerked his head from side to side, hoping he could have enough luck to gore one of them with his horns. …There! The injured maggot slithered away with great haste. With his face free, the captain could issue commands. He hoped his idea would work. 

"Men, power up!!" He yelled as loud as his constrained airway would allow, then powered up, himself. It worked! The larvae engulfing him were little more than dust now, burned in his blazing aura, and the one who were a bit luckier were stunned, blown away by its force. It seemed to be working for the others, as well. One by one, as they powered, the aggressors were either burned to nothing or blown away. When all was said and done, the Ginyu Force appeared the victors… 

The Minotaurus captain mopped his brow once again. _Well, now I see why the elites had such trouble on this planet…_ "Hey,   
everyone all right?" 

"We're all okay, Cap'n," spoke Recoom collectively while nursing a burn on his arm. Ginyu nodded in approval. 

"Good. Just goes to show it takes more than an insect planet to defeat us..! Let's go finish the rest of these bugs off and get the hell of this rock! Let's fly!" 

They scant had their toes off the ground when more maggots assaulted with twice the force. Ginyu was plucked from the air like fruit from a tree and slammed harshly to the ground. The Minotaurus, disoriented but still with it enough to put up a fight, powered up a second time. Ashes again this time, but more larvae appeared with thrice the force. It didn't matter how many times he powered up; the more he destroyed, the many more that arose to take the place of the defeated... 

Even the great Ginyu Force tires if given enough time. Eventually, their energies ran low, and the men began to give up the struggle, one by one. Berter didn't feel the acid burns on his arms and face, really. His skin was quite thick and nowhere near as sensitive as the others. The young man didn't have it in him to fight the encounter anymore, and decided to just resign to his fate. _How very Tokage of me…_ He thought. Perhaps this was his gods' way of punishing him for killing all those innocent people, or going along with in the first place… There was no use making sense of it now. He turned his thoughts through space to Hachuurui, wondering why he never went to tell his nurturers about his going into the outer space when he had the chance. It would have beaten just sending them a letter, that much was certain. He was sorry he couldn't carry on his father's proud bloodline or provide his mother with grandchildren like she had wanted, and recalled his grandfather mentioning that people who were about to die meaningless deaths were always sorry… 

He wondered if he would be allowed on the Light Level when he died. It would be nice to see his grandfather again. 

* * *

That behemoth, Recoom, didn't care about his death. He had many close calls in his life, just part of living on an unforgiving planet   
like Kyokutair. As a child, he had gotten lost during a storm and nearly froze to death; as an adolescent, he fell through a thin patch   
of ice and near drowned; as a young man, he picked a fight with the wrong guy and was nearly beaten to death… After all the nears,   
he, as a mature man, would be suffocated and digested by giant worms. He laughed bitterly at the humor in it, and enjoyed his   
assuredly last minute or two of breathing left for him. 

It felt good, his life slipping away like that, even if it was for the fourth time. 

* * *

Death wasn't something Jeice ever considered. Young people often think they'll live forever, but not him. He knew that nothing lasts forever- the destruction of his home planet, Akai, taught him that. He knew that Freeza did it. It was what he always did when something no longer proved useful, even to a homeworld. Jeice didn't care, though. There was nothing waiting for him on that dead rock, Akai. His parents died long ago, and everyone he ever trusted there was killed in some tragic way or the next. No more bad memories with Akai gone, no more constraints on his mind, and soon, no more constraints on his body. The maggots would loosen up once he was dead. 

He didn't believe in any sort of higher being, but despite that, he prayed. What did he have to lose? 

* * *

Ginyu was agéd for his race. It was down to a matter of whether he was slain in battle or simply died of old age. When he first entered Freeza's ranks, his children were still in infancy, and he had a full head of hair. Years later, when he returned to Rabenda for a visit, he was surprised to see that his toddlers were adolescents, and his wife surpised to see his many bald spots. Years later still, on his second visit to Rabenda, his adolescents were now young adults, and he had a thinning ring of hair on the back of his head. Now, on his most recent visit, his children had children! And what did he have? Spider veins along his fore… 

He had worked so hard to achieve the ranks he now held, but he couldn't enjoy it. Initially, he had joined up so he could pay off his gambling debts, but with each return to Rabenda, the money for payoff, which he had worked for years to save, would be blown gambling or drinking or whatever, and it was back to work for another X years until he had enough saved again. 

He meant to apologize to everyone he had wronged over the past 40 years—his wife and children, Zarbon, and Jeice—before he died. The Azureman and Kaijin, they were good boys, really, just young, pretty, and easy to overpower… Too late for all that now, it seemed. Like Jeice, the leader of the legendary squad didn't consider death. Such is the pride of the Ginyu Special Force… 

* * *

Guldo? …………

  
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	23. Part 23

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 23**

  


_It's not fair, being beaten back by bugs… I, Ginyu Blazenbul, should not have been subjected to such pointlessness. …Did Freeza send us out there to die? Maybe he thought we weren't pulling our weight around here, that we weren't efficient enough? He had to have known the Zebubs' strength; it was in the reports…Or maybe, he... **we** were just overconfident. …Just what the hell were we doing on Beelzebub, anyway..?_

With an electronic beep, the healing liquids drained from the tank and the Plexiglas door whooshed open. A nude and dripping Ginyu squinted as he stepped out of the rejuvenator and into the bright lights of the med ward. 

"Here, take this. You'll catch a cold if you don't dry off quickly." 

The Minotaurus looked down to see a brown, bird-like specimen in a medic garb. He had a bird of prey's claws for hands and feet, looked as it he had been plucked, save a few orange feathers on the top of his head. _Jeckle-jin…_ Ginyu thought to himself, mildly surprised. He hadn't known that there were such creatures in Freeza's service. Then again, he hadn't a reason to be in med ward in nearly 40 of his years. Wrapping the towel around the necessaries, the Captain looked about a bit. 

"Changing rooms are that way," the doctor pointed and smiled. "I trust that is what you were looking for?" 

Ginyu harrumphed and turned his nose up at the creature. He needed answers, not the kindness of strangers. Rudely, the Minotaurus pushed by the Jecklejin and made his way to change. 

* * *

He couldn't remember what had transpired after he blacked out on Beelzebub. Had the fairies saved him? The Captain snorted as he slipped on his wrist guards. That was just a tale on Rabenda; it wouldn't apply to other planets. He cast his red eyes to his armor, dirtied and cracked, and sighed. It would be another few days before he could get another battle jacket with his force's insignia would be ready, and wearing the normal grunt armor just wasn't an option. Going without armor was out of the question, as well. Leaders shouldn't go prancing about in just their underwear… 

"I'll wear my high bound gear. I look better in that, anyway." 

He reappeared wearing a white, low-cut sleeveless shirt and tight, black shorts, with cut-off point above the knee. Imagine his surprise to see Recoom, Berter, Jeice, and Guldo waiting outside the med ward's entrance. "Cap'n…" The behemoth approached him, looking as if he wanted to hug. Recoom did seem to be the one who cared for him the most, but Ginyu didn't have time for that kind of nonsense. 

"Don't 'Cap'n' me," said he, coldly. "I want answers. How in Freeza's name did we get off of Beelzebub alive..?" 

The rest of the team exchanged glances. They thought he would be pleased knowing they were all alive and well. Against his better judgement, Guldo raised his hand, but couldn't muster the words for the explanation. Recoom threw the lifeline before his captain became impatient. "Um… Guldo, he used his telekinesis to freeze those maggots in place. That's how we were able to make it back. …You were knocked out before all that, so Berter there carried you to your pod." 

He clenched his fists. The leader of the most notorious force in the universe, having to be dragged out of a battle—with maggots, no less? Easily, this had to been one of the most humiliating experiences of his career. "I think you should all go away now…" 

"But, Cap'n—" 

"If you don't want me to kill you—all of you—go away. **Now**." 

It came as a shock to the others, but that was all he needed to say. Now alone, Ginyu kicked at the tiled floor and sighed. It was enough to run away from a battle, but now he had to report the loss to Freeza, and who knew how he'd react..? 

* * *

"Master Freeza..?" 

The Minotaurus started a bit at the autoport's whoosh, scolding himself afterwards for being so jumpy. But, then again, he had reason to be. Failure just wasn't an option when it came to serious missions. "Ah, Captain Ginyu," came it from the pink tyrant, pulling his face into an insincere smile. "Back a little late, I see. And in casual attire, too? Are we becoming lax?" 

"N-No… M-My apologies, sir…" He scolded himself once again. Stuttering was very unstylish and let on just how scared he was. "I… have the report on the Beelzebub mission…" 

"Well, alright. I'm listening." 

A bead of sweat played about the pulsing veins of Ginyu's head. He felt a lump forming in his throat, and swallowed hard and dry. _May as well come right out and say it. There's a 50/50 chance I won't die afterwards._

"…The mission was a failure, sir. We failed to exterminate the inhabitants of Beelzebub, and were forced to retreat." 

Freeza turned his back to the Captain and remained silent for sometime after that. As if Ginyu wasn't nervous enough… He just sat there in his hoverchair, brooding, and all the Minotaurus could do was hope his punishment wouldn't be anything too… permanent. 

"Ginyu…" 

He jumped. "Yes, sir..?" 

"The whole point of you being sent there was to scout about for potential soldiers. Now I see it was a waste of time. On Beelzebub, they fight like animals. Therefore, they must be animals, the kind not intelligent enough to follow commands. Forget about it. Take a day or two for you and your men to recuperate. Hm. Better yet, take a vacation—fourteen days—to compensate for the time lost travelling to Beelzebub." 

It was the greatest best-case scenario ever. The Dance of Joy would have been most appropriate, but Ginyu decided it best to just bow in thanks and leave it at that. Meanwhile, the other members of the Force were mulling about, wondering what the deal with their captain was. 

"I don't get it," The Kaijin huffed. "Why would the Captain be angry with us? I mean, he's still alive; we're still alive; so, what's the problem?" 

"Matter of pride, I'll bet," Recoom replied. "I don't think the Cap'n's ever needed savin' a day in his life. And what's more, he's gotta report our failure to Freeza." 

The men groaned. Even Berter, who had only been (officially) on the job for two weeks their time, knew that. Freeza didn't tolerate failure, even from his second favorite. They wondered, momentarily, if they would still have someone to call 'Captain' when this day was over. If he was to be 'disposed of,' seniority dictated Recoom would be leader. The 'Recoom Force'? He would never change the name, even if such a promotion came his way. He wouldn't make a very good leader, anyway. Sure, he had the gusto for posing and was certainly strong enough, but he didn't have that passive-aggressive, overconfident edge that made Ginyu so… Ginyu-like. 

All their speculation went right out the window, it seemed. With a whoosh of the autoport, their Captain stepped in, alive, well, and smiling..? "Men, I have great news! Freeza has given us fourteen days paid vacation!" 

The Ginyus looked as if they'd seen a ghost. He was alive, **and** got vacation time for the whole of them? One would expect some questioning. "Captain Ginyu…" Jeice began. "How did you… Why are you… Did you lie to Freeza about Beelzebub or what?" 

"Of course I didn't lie!" The Minotaurus blustered. On a normal day, a comment like that would have diminished his good mood, but not today. Today, the fairies had saved him. "Anyway, it doesn't matter why Freeza didn't kill me. What matters is he didn't and now we can relax for a bit." 

The men cheered, now having a reason to celebrate (and an excuse to drink). "Excuse me, sir." 

Ginyu turned to Berter. "If it's your will, I would like to depart for Hachuurui during this… 'vacation' time." 

"Well, why not? It's your time now, not Freeza's. When're you leaving?" 

"Immediately." 

"Woah! Hey, now..!" The behemoth protested. "What's the rush? Why don't you have a little fun with us first?" 

Berter furrowed his brow. "If by 'a little fun' you mean a night of drinking, then—" 

"No, no, no! I'm talkin' a game of high bound!" 

Jeice shot up excitedly. "Hey, yeah! A fast devil like you oughta **love** boundin'!" 

"Many thanks, but no," the Tokage politely refused. "I would really only take pleasure in seeing my family during this time. Perhaps when I return..?" 

"Fine, fine. Get along, then," the Kaijin turned his head and gestured for him to go away. "You an' me, then, 'Coom?" 

"May as well. See ya, Bert. Make sure you get back on time." 

He nodded. I will. Perhaps we can go to your Kyokutair on our next vacation?" 

Recoom blinked. "You mean… you really want to?" 

"It sounds… 'fun', is it? We are both hunters, yes? It will be an experience." 

Recoom looked at the taller man with those mammalian eyes of his—"Buddy!" –and engulfed him in a vicing embrace. "Ya got no idea what I'm feelin' right now! Yer great! Sportsmanly, even! I'm never gonna forget this, Berter!" 

Ginyu, Jeice, and Guldo looked on and laughed while poor Berter was sure he had a fractured rib or two. "Well, looks like 'Coom's finally got himself a huntin' buddy," Jeice chuckled. "But seriously, Recoom. You should probably let him on his way. Family only sticks around for so long, you know." 

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." He released his grip on the younger man, who promptly began gasping for air. 

* * *

It wasn't long before his red eyes took in the matching skies of Hachuurui once again. He stepped out of the spacepod and breathed sharply. The air was sort of heavy and smelled of wet vegetation. "It rained not too long ago," he figured. Berter stretched and cracked his back. He couldn't wait to get out of his needlessly snug battle jacket and into his native fashion, —which he made sure to take with him before he left 79— or maybe he'd keep it on. Surprising Neizu would be a bit of fun. In any case, he wanted to get home as fast as possible. Flying would have been the first choice, but someone might mistake him for a flyer dino and put an arrow through his chest. He'd have to hoof it on the beaten path, then. He sighed, thinking how convenient it would have been to have his Marzipan with him now. Oh, well. His own two feet would have to serve. 

It was during that long hike that he realized how much he missed the planet. The crunch of twigs and mammal bones under   
his feet was music to his audibles, as opposed to the cold thwap on linoleum. The gentle rustling of leaves brought him peace,   
whereas the grinding noise of machinery made him cringe. Not to mention the wonderful scent of… blood? Had Neizu made a kill?   
But it was so near the plot… Berter rushed himself down the rest of the dirt road to the clearing that was the start of his home.   
The smell was strong, and the grass was stained. From a distance, he could make out a lump lying by a broken hitchpost.   
He dashed to it and recoiled in shock, for it was the carcass of his Ridre dino, belly split with organs splattered about and decapitated, but not with a clean cut. Rather, the head looked as if it had been stabbed and then ripped off with incredible force. "…Marzipan…"   
He choked weakly. Then, it hit him. Whatever came across his Marzipan may have crossed paths with… 

"Neizu! Neizu!!" He shouted fearfully, but was graced with no reply. He looked down at his dead steed and notice that the trail of blood continued around to the back of their dwelling. Berter raced to the back and nearly toppled before stopping to the sight before him. 

Bloated, bleeding, riddled with spear wounds, and on its side, lay a tri-horned Razher dino, presumably dead. The Tokage was dumbfounded. How in the world did a Razher dino get all the way to the inner plateau? More importantly, where was Neizu? "Neizu!! Neizu!!" He cried out again. A bit luckier this time, the reply was in the form of a series of struggling grunts from something female coming from in front of the fallen beast. His feet carried him swiftly to the source. 

It was Neizu, and in an awfully pitiful heap. Bloodied spear pitched in the ground, she repeatedly attempted to pull herself to her feet but to no avail. "Neizu! By the gods, what happened here?" He ran to her aid, and was taken aback by her horrific injury. Her right shin was totally ripped open –its muscles red, pouring, and shredded, exposing bone—and twisted a complete 180º at the knee. 

"Berter..?" She managed. He scooped her up in his arms and raced to the nearest medic. Meanwhile, a familiar figure, who had been watching from the surrounding bush, cursed fate and planned for his next attempt.

  
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	24. Part 24

� 

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 24**

It had passed for many hours before Neizu's leg became remotely manageable. Their medical technology was decades behind anything on Freeza Planet, and it would be several months before she could even think of using it. Thankfully, Berter had gotten her help before infection had a chance to set in, but all the while he rolled over and over in his mind how a Razher dino could have gotten so far into the Plateau. In any case, he'd have to clear away its carcass as well as that of his Marzipan so as not to attract any more threats. Dusk now, he cradled his mate and dashed back home, but not so hastily, travelling at just enough speed to not make the trip any more uncomfortable for her. Neizu hadn't uttered a word the entire way through. It was all she could do to allow herself to be carried like a child in Berter's arms and keep a stiff upper lip, refusing to show just how much pain she was really in. 

"Was… my Jaccwelyn still there?" 

"Hm?"_Oh. Her steed…_ "…I did not see her, but there was a split rope still tied to the hitchpost. I can only guess that she pulled free and ran off." She cast a disappointed look. Berter frowned. "How… did a Razher dino get this far into the Plateaus?" Asked she, though more of herself than of Berter. 

"I inquired to that, as well. But, on a more positive level, we'll have plenty to eat." He smiled. 

"'We'? Are you staying, then?" The male blinked. She made it seem as if she **wanted** him to stay… "Only for 10 days, their time. Then I have to return to the outer space." He had to take away two days to compensate for time taken to get back to 79. "Even so, I'll be here the entire time to care for you." 

Neizu turned away, her cheeks darkening. "Why did you come back..?" She asked with head still turned. Berter's feelings became  
a bit hurt at that. "Did you not want me to? Or rather, did you not believe I would?"

"I……"

"Ah, I see. You still doubt me, then…" He set her down gently on the dampened grass. "You know," he began as he squatted beside her. "That day I left, I was being truthful. I wouldn't ever abandon you, and I didn't." 

Neizu remained silent. Berter took that as a sign of disbelief and tried to prove himself honest. "See this garb?" He pointed to his battle jacket. "I received this in the space. This material, we don't have it here on this planet, so……" 

His face faulted as she became more despondent. "Um… Oh! Recently, we—that is to say, my team and myself—went to a planet Beelzebub and fought like Razher dinos, we did!" He recalled excitedly, swinging his fists to emphasize the point. "We… Ah…"

Perhaps that wasn't the right thing to say, either. She appeared even more depressed and looked as if she would cry if he continued any further. He bit his thumb nervously and tried to think of a way to restore her faith in him, if it was ever there in the first place. "…I know!" He quickly gathered her up in his arms once again, eliciting a surprised yelp from her in the process. "I'll show you what I've learned! If you don't want to risk a fall, you'd best hold on to me..!" 

She turned to him with a puzzled look. "What are you…"

The female clung for dear life as she felt herself going up, up, and away into the ruby sky. Berter laughed heartily as he cavorted in the aerospace (to Neizu's discontent), being the aerobat doing all sorts of loops and tumbles and what have you. "Okay! Okay!" She screamed. "I believe you! Just set me back!" 

Grinning, he descended to the earth below and gave Neizu her peace. Her heart thumped loudly and her breathing was just as audible and, whether she realized it or not, she was still holding on to Berter. He didn't mind, not at all, rather liking that level of closeness. Her warmth was inviting, like a small, homey fire on a cold night. He waited a moment for her to get a handle on her breathing before asking: "Are you all right?" 

"How did you learn such a thing as flight..!" 

"Those people from space, as part of a training." _One of the lighter sides of it, anyway…_

Neizu snorted. "If we Tokage were meant to fly, we would have been descended from the flyer dinos, not the giant pack lizards."

He chuckled. "I suppose I'll have to build a crutch for you, then. I'm sure you're not fond of this sort of escortage, and as I'm sorry to say, ne'r are my arms; you've fed too well since I've been gone…" 

"Oh! You…" She gave him a pinch in the wrist, but he just laughed through and through. And when his laughter was over he spoke to her softly, "When I departed that day, I meant every word I said to you. I'll love and honor and stay with you for as long as the gods allow, so please, don't doubt me, my beautiful Neizu…"

"…You're such a bother…" She blushed once more and grumbled, pretending to be angry. Though in all actuality, she was thrilled. Nothing male had ever called her 'beautiful' before, besides her own father. It was nice being made to feel special like that. It was something that every girl hoped to have one day: that handsome someone to make her feel wanted, needed, exalted, and care for her the rest of her days… He was certainly attractive enough; a set of well-maintained fangs, a pair of eyes that were a calm carmine, as opposed to the blood or rust color that most males possessed, a broad chest and strong arms, and a sincere smile, not to mention that lovely cicatrix adorning his backside… 

* * *

_Ginyu returned to Rabenda,_  
_And Recoom to his Kyokuta'r._  
_Berter took leave for Hachuurui,_  
_And Guldo for the bar._  
_But Kaijin Jiizu on Seventy-nine,_  
_To his own, he chose to stay_  
_Until they all returned again,_  
_Until the fourteenth day._

Writing was a thing Jeice enjoyed greatly, but rarely had the time for. It was nice finally having a moment to himself to do so. Most of his works were simple rhymes about the Force, or the battles they fought, but his favorites were the ones he wrote for Zarbon. Actually, he hadn't written any for him since that day. The Kaijin leaned back and sighed wistfully. Zarbon… Zarbon..? Zarbon! Realizing he was late for a game of high bound with Zarbon, he threw down his pen and book and dashed out the autoport. 

* * *

Grueling, harsh, blistering play. The Azureman and the Kaijin sat on the floor and rested back to back, their bodies brimming with sweat, with an addition of blood to Jeice's. He had lost; rather, he had thrown yet another game to his best friend. They panted in unison, their chests rising and falling to time. "Good game," Zarbon huffed.

"Yeah," puffed Jeice in reply. "Hey, Zar, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." 

"Don't get mad, okay..?" 

The taller man raised a brow in question, but decided not to probe into it. "Yeah, alright. I won't get mad." 

Here it came… Jeice clinched his fists and wound up his courage. He'd have to phrase this carefully. "Zar… Do you… uh, would you… That is to say, I was wondering—" 

"What is it, already?" Zarbon interrupted, a little annoyed. If it was one thing he couldn't stand, it was beating around the bush. "If you've got something to say, just say it." 

"All right." He took a deep breath. "Do you… like men, Zar?"

"What kind of question is that?" He rose and stood imposingly over the Kaijin, considerably offended. 

"Nothing! Nothing! I was… just wondering, that's all……" Dejected, Jeice turned his back to him and slumped. A little cooler now, Zarbon sat to meet him in their original position. 

"…You know, I heard you, that day…" 

Jeice spun around. "W-What?" 

"That day I was kicked off the Force, I heard your every word."

The smaller man felt a chill creep down his spine. He had been conscious after all..? So then, he knew everything… What now? Would he be angry with him? He didn't seem to be. In fact, Zarbon was smiling. He placed a friendly hand on Jeice's head and ruffled his snow-white hair. "Well," the Azureman began. "I can't say that I've ever had someone love me for me, but I can't say that I'm attracted to men, either. I'm sorry." 

"That's…… fine." His senses of relief and disappointment had trouble finding a happy medium. He had just been turned down, however lightly, but had been given the best case scenario for rejection he could have hoped for. "Best friends rather that boyfriends, then," he smiled weakly under his veil of chagrin. 

"If it makes you feel any better, you have good taste," he smoothed out the end of his braid and tossed it over his shoulder. Jeice just scoffed. "Up for another game?" The Azureman inquired.

"…You bet..!" He exclaimed, though a bit hesitant. "And this time, I won't lose!" 

It would be hard work giving all those false smiles over the next few days. 

And for the next few days, Berter kept a constant vigil, never leaving her side—save to take care of the needs of the body—and it showed. He hadn't slept since his return; the guilt of not being there for his mate panged at his conscious night after night. The male crawled through the days like a zombie, carving away at the wood for her crutch, shearing away at the muscle of the wild saurs for food, making sure she didn't get too bored… He would tell her of his adventures in the outer space, but the most she could gain from her were merely 'mm-hmms' and 'uh-huhs.' Day in, day out, he tried and tried and tried and tired and tired and tired, with no noticible care from his mate. 

His time was down to the last three days. Hachuurui's orange sun gave its last few hours of light as the two began preparing for retirement. Well, Neizu, at least. Already tucked under the sheets, she sat in her bed staring at the opposite wall as if it was another world that only she could see. Berter, meanwhile, but his back to her bedside and maintained the only sounds in the room, save their breathing, carving away at her near-complete crutch… 

_Scrape, scrape, scrape, scr--_

His face separated into a highly satisfied grin, the kind that one might have upon completion of a paper after staying up all night to write it. Then, his eyelids drooped and his shoulders slumped, and for the first time in days, he actually slept. It became clear just how tired he had been within a few minutes time, as Neizu's attentions were brought to his increasingly clamorous snoring. Annoyed, she punked the back of his head in hopes of him waking up. Nice try, but no Zipan fruit. Turning her body sideways, she leaned forward and gave him a good push, but still no luck. Her growing annoyance dissipated momentarily, as she caught sight of the work he cradled in his slumbering arms, much like he did her person. 

It was her crutch, finished and furnished and simply beautiful. There were masterful reliefs of flyer dinos and Ridre dinos and intensely detailed Zipan trees… No wonder it had taken days for its completion! And what was this on the arm groove? An inscription?

"_Let this be your support when I myself am not here to do so."_

����_--Berter of Kyôrusan_

Right about then, her heart began to melt like the wax of the candle that lit their bedroom. He had put his entire soul into something as simple as a support just for her. He really didn't have to take the time to build the thing from scratch; he could have ordered one from the medic. He wasn't required to do a lot of the things he had done for her, not even return her home. All he had to do was get her medical attention, even had the option to leave her in the medic's care, he did. But… he didn't… because… 

Reluctantly, she extended her arms and formed a tentative ring around his neck. Resting lightly her head where the neck met the collarbone, she whispered, "…You work much too hard." and closed her eyes to sleep. Then the worst thing possible (for her) happened…

He stirred. 

When he opened his eyes, he was met with the startled look of hers. "Neizu…" He said with slight slur. Good, she thought. He wasn't totally awake yet. She quickly removed her arms from him before he could take notice of that, too. Turning from her to his lap, he took his work and displayed it graciously in his large hands.� "It's finished…" He said with a proud and sleepy grin. "Is it… acceptable..?"  
He asked nervously, looking as if his very soul would break if her response didn't turn out to be a positive one. She weighed her options. It **could** be a bit of fun, crushing his spirit just like that. But, somehow, it didn't seem like the thing to do. He had done so  
much for her… 

"Very much so," came the reply, though flatter than she had intended. To compensate, she flashed a very brief smile at him.  
Though it was there only for a second, he caught it and his heart fluttered. He deserved so much more… 

"Berter…"

"Hmm..?"

She would have to word this carefully. "You are… permitted… to sleep up here tonight, if you want…" She promptly rolled to have  
her back face him and a few silent seconds went by. Neizu breathed an internal sigh of relief, glad that he didn't take her up on her  
offer. But to her displeasured surprise, she felt the left side of the bed sink. She could already feel his eyes boring into the back of  
her skull. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" 

"Stop watching me." 

"It can't be helped." He smiled. But she did seem generally bothered by him keeping her under a watchful gaze, so he politely rolled so that they were back to back, and could feel some of her tension lift already. "You made me quite happy, just now, you know…"

"I know…" Great. Now he was going to give her something more to be embarrassed about… 

"I'm glad you're not as tenacious as you were when we first met," he continued. "Initially, I didn't think we could function as mates, but now, I'm glad that we're together. I truly am."

"Scared."

"What..?"

"I was… scared… That's why… I always acted like that." Each word felt like a cut on her dignity. Every single weakness she admitted created a wound. Why was she doing this to herself?

"Of what?" 

"…Of what the future held, of what I would end up with…" Let it bleed. "That day, during the Championships, I… wasn't angered with you. I was angered with the fact that I couldn't choose my life, these blasted traditions…" 

"Neizu…"

"But I suppose…" She giggled a bit, if one could believe such a thing. "It was rather humorous, that day… My person falling into the water…" The more she thought about it, the funnier it became, and she laughed and laughed and laughed. She had the most annoying, unnerving, high-pitched squeal his audibles had ever had to tolerate.

…He loved her even more and laughed, too. And when their laughter had ceased, they found themselves entangled in each other's arms.


	25. Part 25

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 25**   
"I think if we were to have offspring, I would prefer she have her mother's beauty… but her father's disposition." 

"And what makes you so sure that what we have will be a 'she'?" 

"Why, we'll have a 'she' because I want a 'she'," he replied jokingly. 

"Well, then, what happens if we have a son?" 

"Why, then, we'll raise a fine, young son, who hopefully will have all of his father's traits." 

"And what would you call your fine, young son?" 

"Lôdenrok, after my grandfather." He looked to the sun for some sort of approval. 

"And your daughter?" 

"Roderin, after your mother." 

"I think we will have a daughter, then." 

"Of course we will." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and she met him in a light kiss. "You know, this is the last day I can spend with you here." 

"I know. Have you the knowledge of when your next visit will be?" 

"Nay, but I hope to return before you brood." 

"Aye. I'd best make a laying space, then. I'll write a letter to my mother later for her assistance." 

"I wish I could be there to meet her. Perhaps we can arrange for our nurturers to meet with each other on someday?" 

"That would be grand. We'll have it the day after your next return." 

"Why not the day of my return?" 

"Because that day will belong to us..." 

* * *

He was the first to arrive, it seemed, that blue manlizard to the 79th Freeza Planet. The dock was clear, save his own pod, and there was no one else in sight. Berter stepped off the platform, through the control room, and made his way to his quarters. It had been a nice vacation, excluding the first day, but he did have a good time, especially… on that night… 

"Hey, buddy! What's that grin for?" 

The young man jumped when he realized he wasn't as alone as he thought. From practically out of nowhere emerged Recoom, goofing around the halls, as usual. "W-What grin?" The Tokage stuttered. 

"Don't even try it. With a grin like that, something good must have happened during your vacation, if you know what I mean…" 

"I… don't." 

"You know…" The behemoth put his hands behind his head and did a few pelvic thrusts to illustrate his message. "C'mon, who was it? Wife? Girlfriend? One-night stand? You can tell me." He prodded him with his elbow. 

"What's goin' on, eh?" 

They both turned to see that Jeice and Guldo were there, as well. They had been to begin with; they'd never left the planet. "Ol' B here got some…" The behemoth replied in teasing tone. 

The other two laughed and followed suit with suggestive commentary and sexual overtones. The Tokage was both embarrassed and appalled at how they could be so out-in-the-open about something as personal as that. After they were through torturing Berter, all four proceeded to the lounge area where Recoom 'regaled' them with tales of what he did on Kyokutair during their 14-day break. 

"…And I stabbed it, and I stabbed it, and I stabbed it again! I tell ya, that ursine just wouldn't go down! As you all well know, it's bad luck to kill a beast with an incredibly strong will to live, so I backed my knife out of his thick hide and backed myself up. He just kinda looked at me for a bit, then went in the other direction. I think he was either saying 'thanks' or giving me a big 'fuck you.' " He chuckled. 

"What?!" Jeice slammed his drink on the table. "You made us sit here for over an hour listening to you go on and on about your hunt and you didn't even kill the thing?!" 

"Well, what was I supposed to do: Kill it and jinx the whole of us?" 

"Recoom, there is NO such thing as—" 

"—If I may…" Berter gestured for Jeice to cease. "Hunting isn't about meaningless slaughter, my friend," he addressed to the Kaijin. "That is known as sporting, and there is no point in that. People from hunting societies realize this, so they only kill out of necessity: food, clothing, and bones to make tools and weapons… It's the same with animals, except they kill for food or to eliminate competition from other species. I guess that explains Beelzebub…" 

Jeice and Guldo bowed their heads slightly and thoughtfully. "But if that's the case," the Bas-jin began. "What point is there for him to hunt on Kyokutair if he has all the food, clothing, tools, and weapons he'll ever need right here?" 

"I hunt to help my people. The spoils go to them." Recoom responded, his hands clasped. "When we went there that time, I wanted to show you all my village, meet my father, but you all complained so much, I thought it'd be best to just leave." 

If they didn't feel bad before, they sure as hell did now. "On our next vacation," said the redman softly. "We'll go to your Kyokutair. All of us. No complaints." 

It wasn't exactly an apology, but it was understood. Funny how they could go from a group of friends one minute to cold-blooded killers the next. Ah, Professionalism… They turned their ears to the autoport's whoosh as it opened and stepped through it, their Captain, who seemed startled to find that there were people in the room, and all of them his own men. "Men…" He stepped back. 

"Hey, Cap'n," Recoom was the first to greet him, he always was. "How was Rabenda?" 

"I… I'm going to report to Freeza…" He started back through the door. "Oh, and Jeice," he looked over his shoulder. "Report to my quarters at 2400 hours. Don't bother wearing your uniform." 

And he left, just like that. The silence hung heavily in the air and the Kaijin buried his face in his hands. 

* * *

He didn't much care being here a second time like this. The first time, he was frightened. This time, he was saddened. It was not a good visit to his Rabenda. He didn't hear the gears of the door permitting him to enter, and he didn't feel his feet as they worked with the floor to provide traction, but did see his master's insincere smile as he met him at about face. It always sent a chill through his body. 

"Greetings, Captain Ginyu," came the salutations from the pink tyrant. 

"Master." He saluted accordingly. "I've come to report that we are all present and await any orders you may have." 

"Such gusto..!" Freeza flicked his tail about. "But there's nothing in the pool that requires your services. Oh, at ease. So, how was Rabenda?" 

He couldn't lie to Freeza and get away with it. If it was one thing he hated more than cowardice and cheap wine, it was a liar, never mind that he himself was one. Hypocrite… "Not so good, sir. …My wife… died a few days after I had arrived." 

His statement initially shocked Freeza, but he quickly regained his regal air and smiled an empty smile. "My condolences." Just as cold as always, but Ginyu didn't care. He didn't need his condolences, nor did he want them. Still, the Minotaurus bowed and thanked his master, and the master dismissed him. 

* * *

He didn't want this, he didn't need this, he didn't **deserve** this. What could he have possibly done to warrant any kind of punishment? Actually, it may not have been something he did, at all; Ginyu **was** acting a big strange that morning… But then, why would he want him out of uniform? There was only one way to find out. "Captain," called Jeice. "I'm here." 

The autoport opened instantly, and made his way in the Kaijin did. It was dark, but thanks to the lights in the corridor, he could make out a partially silhouetted Ginyu, sans shirt and shoes but still with pants, sitting on his bed. Jeice breathed an internal sigh. "Come sit here with me." 

Jeice took a seat adjacent to him on the bed. Ginyu hadn't looked at him once. "…My wife died while I was in Rabenda during our vacation." 

The Kaijin quirked an eyebrow. "…I'm sorry to hear that, Captain." 

"If you were Recoom, maybe I'd believe you." 

"………" 

"My children and I," He continued. "We sat down to the reading of the will. She wanted the money we'd receive from her insurance to pay off my debts, so I wouldn't have to work anymore… Always thinking of others. That's what I admired about her." He lay back, propping himself up on his elbows. "Our marriage was arranged, but I was happy. I had known her since my childhood. …I wasn't in love with her, but I did love her. I love my children, too, even though I've only seen them for the fourth time since they were born." 

Why was he saying all this to him, of all people? He couldn't help feeling that Recoom should be here instead of himself. Not to say that he didn't care about the Captain, too, but it was hard to have positive feelings for someone who treats him as a warrior in public and a callboy behind locked autoports. Ginyu stood and laid his person under the covers. "Lie with me." 

The red man complied without complaint. Ginyu shifted to lie on his side, facing Jeice. The Captain reached over and began to pet the younger's beautiful hair. Jeice was visibly uncomfortable by this situation, grateful the lights were off so Ginyu couldn't see. "Don't worry," the Minotaurus whispered. "I'm not going to do anything to you; I just don't want… to be alone… right now." 

The Kaijin felt a little tug at his heart. "I wanted to tell you…" The Captain continued. "That is, I want to say……… I won't call for you anymore. Ever. Do you understand?" 

He tried not to sound too happy. "Y-Yes, sir." 

"All right." And he kissed him, not roughly when he had been taken in previous nights, but gently, almost lovingly, and the Kaijin wondered if Ginyu had ever kissed his wife like that. The Captain turned his body to lie on his back and exhaled deeply. "Good night, _Jiizu_," he bid him, and closed his eyes. 

It was all the smaller man could do to bring himself to snuggle up to him and ease into a dreamless sleep. 

  
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	26. Part 26

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 26**

  
In about five days time, Ginyu was back to his pompous, flamboyant, overbearing self. The Captain went on as if nothing happened between him and Jeice, and Jeice did the same, but he couldn't help drifting back to that night. The weeks passed, and the Force was sent to more planets. Stronger peoples had been popping up left and right, and the tyrant, Freeza, instead of instigating planetary genocide, began using them to gather new blood into his ranks. And time moves on continuously… 

Berter sighed as he made his way to the bar to meet with the others. He didn't know why they enjoyed drinking so much. Alcoholic drinks tasted like stagnant water and made one just as sick. Hachuurui's most notorious drunkard couldn't guzzle as much blood wine in a year than they could beer in two weeks time. He gave another little reluctant sigh as he turned the corner to enter the pub… 

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!" 

…and nearly suffered an arrest at the sudden surprise. All dressed in party gear of the fashion, the Ginyus raised their grogs to him. "What's all this?"Asked the young man. 

"Why," began the good captain. "This is your three-month anniversary..! You've gone 84 consecutive days without being killed, permanently damaged, or dishonorably discharged, so we're celebrating!" 

"That's right!" Jeice added, taking a swig and releasing a refreshed sigh. "Not many of the guys we've had lasted as long as you, besides ol' Zarbon. You should be proud." 

"And that's not all," the behemoth stepped in. "All potential planets have been scouted, and their all way below the elites' level, so we don't have to work for a while. The Cap'n pulled a few strings with Freeza, so now you can go visit your Hachuurui and get cozy with your girl for a while." He put his hand on his shoulder and snickered at that last part. Berter just looked down at his boots, slightly embarrassed.   
Ginyu snuck a snifter under his muzzle to offer and said, grinning, "Take your time and have some fun. We'll contact you on the scouter when we need you to come back, just make sure you take it with you. But for now, drink up. Our tab's been paid and it's time we rack up another one." 

The Tokage took the glass from his Captain and eyed it indecisively. Well, maybe just one… 

* * *

Seventy hours and eleven snifters later, he arrived on the Saurian Planet. A bright, sunny day, and not a cloud in the sky. It felt great to be in the warmth of natural light again. The young man took a deep breath and stretched, thankful he hadn't let himself get drunk or tipsy at the very least. He spied a few flyer dinos overhead and thought of Neizu with her bow and arrow, strong and poised with weapon pointed towards the sky. The notion warmed his heart and he hoped she was faring well. Her mother was sure to be with her, he was sure, from the letter she'd discussed with him on his last visit. When he arrived at the homestead, he was pleased to note that he didn't smell blood. He turned to the stone gravemarker for his saurian steed and bowed, then did the same for the one placed for the tri-horned Rahzer dino before entering his home... And was promptly pulled by his neck through the doorway by a much larger male. 

The man towered over Berter, so much that at first, he thought he was the ex-Riizard, Mesan, but he never remembered Mesan being so… ugly. The man needed some serious dental attention, that much was certain. His fangs were elongated to the point that he could be considered sabre-toothed, and even then one of them was broken, looking as if it had done so some time ago. To add to it, he only had one eye. A long, deep scar travelling down the right side of his face was a hint at what might have transpired; maybe something in his Championship days, but none of that mattered now. All Berter knew is that he looked very, very angry. 

"You!!" The angry unknown shouted. "So **you're** the poor excuse for male that left my beautiful little girl to become crippled!! What kind of man would leave his mate to be attacked by some animal!?" He sniffed at his battle jacket. "And what is this strange garb? Form fitting pants… Don't tell me you're a performer, too..!" 

"Father? What's the matter?" 

Thank the gods. The younger man breathed an internal sigh of relief as Neizu slowly but surely made her way down the corridor to him. He quickly released Berter before she could notice the hold he had over him and greeted her with a slightly guilty smile. "Nothing, Neizu," he fibbed. "Oh, look," he pulled poor Berter by the lip of his armor and threw his arm around him in pseudo-comradrie. "Your mate has returned..!" 

"Berter!" She hobbled as quickly as she could and threw her arms around his neck. He formed a tentative ring around her waist, afraid to touch her any more intimately under her father's watchful eye. It was funny—he could blow him to bits with just his finger if he wanted, but didn't seem to realize it as he showed the fear of beat-down in his eyes with each glance toward his father-in-law's way. The young man wondered, momentarily, if her mother was just as bad. "I'll be fine here with Berter. If it's your will, you're free to leave, father," hinted a very smooth Neizu. 

"If you're certain, I'll go. Be sure to write us more often now." 

"I will. Have you a pleasant return." 

He bent to hug his daughter and rudely bumped his gainéd son aside to exit. As soon as the door shut, the male scooped his mate up in his arms and kissed her gently. "What do they call your father?" 

"Ranthire." 

_How appropriate, having both 'rant' and 'ire' in his name…_ "Have you laid yet?" He asked. 

"Nay," the female replied. "But the space is prepared. Would you care to see?" 

"Of course." 

She led him to their bedroom—he could comfortably call it 'theirs' now—and brought him to the east window, where in its corner now existed an upraised platform lined with linen and feathers. One might think it comparable to a chicken coop. "It's beautiful," he spoke softly, placing an arm around her shoulder. "How much time has passed?" 

"One month. I'll be ready to brood any day now." 

"How exciting," Berter smiled. "Any day now, we'll have our little Roddy right here, and when she hatches, we'll be a family. Just the three of us." 

"'Roddy'?" 

"Roderin. I thought we agreed to name her after your mother..?" 

"Aye, aye…" She cozied up next to him. "Would you be disappointed if I wished for a son?" 

"……Ah, Neizu, it doesn't matter! We're going to be nurturers!" He could hardly contain himself. A little girl, a fine son, he didn't care, so long as it was healthy. "Lôdenrok or Roderin," she said with a smile. "Either one will be a wonderful child." 

They kissed, he secretly wishing for his Roderin and she for her Lôdenrok. 

* * *

Elsewhere, as night fell on the Plateaus, the tears of a Tokage female fell on the body of her mate… 

"How could you?! How could you kill him?! You fiend! You…You're evil!! Words can't describe this!!" 

"I did it for you—for us. We should be together as mates, just as we were as children." 

"And you think killing my mate would make me love you like that?! …I **loathe** you…" 

"Don't you see? You deserve so much better than that fat oaf. Let me show you…" He approached her, easing a hand towards her face and licking his lips. 

"Don't you touch me!!!" She cracked a desperate, rage-filled fist to his jaw. The male touched the point of impact, waiting for the pain to subside, then turned back to her, his eyes red and murderous, and backhanded her, sending her falling to the floor. The male's hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of her cassock, stained with the blood of her slain husband. He pulled her to his menacing face and spoke in a whisper of compacted fury. 

"You… **whore**… You worthless, little **whore**… You **know** I'm the only man who can love you, and you dare strike at** me**..?!" He slammed her violently against the wall and pinned her there with his body. She gasped as she felt his hands run under her clothing, and asked him, choking on her tears, "Jerin, why…?" 

"Just relax and enjoy this." 

  
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	27. Part 27

**DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"**

**Part 27**

  
"Keep pushing, Neizu. You're almost there." 

Her barely encompassing fingers gripped tightly to his hand as she bore down again, trying to force the product of that night out of her body. In the early morning hours when the sun first awoke, she sat there in the homey little nest she and her father had constructed, trying with all her might to expel the object.   
Her husband, that Ginyu Force man, knelt right beside her in support, as a good husband should. Exhausted, she gave one last mighty push, and with a soft 'thud,' out dropped the egg into the feather-linen cushion. Neizu breathed a grand sigh of relief and rested her head on her mate's shoulder, taking in deeply the air as sweat bullets played around her brow and face. 

"You did it, my Neizu," he whispered, forming a ring around her waist. "We are now at the halfway point to becoming nurturers." Berter scooped his drained Neizu in his arms and placed her gently on their bed. He looked down on her, glowing with sweat, and sighed wistfully. The gods must have loved him to give him such a gift as her. "Rest here. I'll go to pick some fruit for you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then exited the homestead to the Zipan tree grove. 

Not more than a few minutes after his departure, heavy footsteps plunked themselves inside the house and towards the bedroom. Neizu, resting quietly, caught earshot of the sound and called out. "Berter?" 

The footsteps stopped, and the figure, presumed by her to be Berter, stepped through the doorframe. "So, I **am** at the right place…" 

Before she could react, the man advanced on her, placing one large hand over her mouth and pinning her to the bed with the other. Tired as she was, she struggled with what remaining energy she had, punching and clawing at the assailant's chest and neck. These actions only served to bring her more misfortune, however, as he took from his back pocket a hunting knife and slashed her face just below the eyes. She screamed in agony as the sharpened metal mauled her skin and her blood stained her clothing and bedsheets below, but her muffled shrieks did not sway the attacker. He turned her over and repeatedly stabbed her in the back and sides, the uncaring knife splitting her flesh, spilling red tears, again and again and again… 

…He smelled blood, once again coming from the homestead. Berter dropped the Zipan fruits he'd collected and dashed home with Godspeed. The closer he got, the stronger the smell became. He grew more anxious by the second. Had another animal attacked? When he finally reached their plot, the structure was intact. Still unnerved, the male rushed inside the home, which reeked of blood. He moved down the hall like a charging rhino, trying to get to his— 

"Neizu!!!" _By the gods, what's happened?!_ He leapt to her bedside, sheets soaked in her life's blood, to find her pale and growing cold, her face, with eyes closed, drained of life. The male repeatedly cried out her name, hoping, wishing that she would stir, that her eyes would open, just… anything… 

He got his wish. She opened her eyes, bruised and half-lidded, and forced her bloodied face to smile. "Berter……" 

"Neizu..!" He blinked back his tears and clasped her hands in his. "I… I'm so glad…… Neizu, who did this to you..?" 

She sighed. It was taking so much out of her… "I don't know… He arrived… just after you'd gone." 

"Never fear," he breathed, preparing to gather her in his arms. "I'll take you to the medic, and everything will be fine." 

"Don't bother," said Neizu with a melancholy smile. "I've lost too much blood already." 

His jaw hung open slightly and his lip quivered. "No!" Berter protested. "You still have time! Please..! …Please, my Neizu…… I…"   
  
"I'm so very tired, Berter, and I hurt. Just give me my peace… and let me die here." 

He didn't want to hear what she had just said. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't. He just wasn't able to anymore. His throat choked itself and anything more he had to say would be trapped in its constricting muscles. She turned her head to him and breathed softly, "…Our child is safe." 

He hadn't noticed. Berter swung his head in the direction of the laying space, the egg still sitting there, relatively undisturbed. Her heavy sigh brought his attentions back to her. With her eyes now shut and head reared toward the ceiling, she smiled a sad little smile and, barely above a whisper, said to him her final words: 

"I wanted to tell you this… before you left… but I… was just so… tired…… Berter…. **My** Berter, I… I love…y--" 

Her heart stopped, and her head fell. 

He just knelt there, not fully grasping what had transpired. She was telling him something, and then she stopped just short. Now she wasn't breathing… 

_My Berter, I love you._

He gasped, the shock finally settling in. She was dead. His Neizu, that beast-woman he had talked with and fought with and lay with… was… dead…? He quickly removed his hands from her lifeless pair and looked around the room frantically, as if for an answer as to how to fix her. Whatever it was, he didn't find it, and to see her body lying there, knowing that she'd never fight or hunt or be there with him ever again… 

"I was your Berter and you loved me… Neizu, I knew. You didn't have to tell me… I…I already knew…" 

He buried his face in her rhythmless chest and sobbed quietly, his water mixing with her blood and dancing to stain both their skins. For this woman, whom he never wanted to be with in the first place, he was now pouring his heart out over. It wasn't fair. Gods shouldn't be able to take back their gifts. It just wasn't fair….. 

"Do you like what I did to your wife, Berter of Kyôrusan?" 

That voice… 

He **knew** that voice… 

As the steps of that person whom had just callen out faded, Berter dashed after him. He took chase to the outside, the person already coming up on the horizon. He wouldn't get away; he had Tokage speed, too. Pushing off, he bounded the distance easily, the ground below a blur as he flew in pursuit of his beloved's attacker. He caught the man by surprise by landing in front of him, striking quickly to grab his neck and slam him to the ground. Berter lumbered over him for a minute, breathing heavily through clenched teeth and face twisted in a sneer. The other party, a little jarred from the impact but fine for the moment, lifted his head and made eye contact, mouth turning slightly upward. "Hello, friend Berter," was all he said, and Berter's eyes widened in shock. There in the dirt, clamped in his fist, was that most hated rival… 

"Jerin!!" He barked, his face streaked with tears. "**You** did this?!" 

"Yes, sire," Jerin replied with a non-chalant air. "It would have been done sooner, with the Razher dino I captured then unleashed, but you came, to my annoyance. I killed Tage, too, the fat fool. Are you angry?" 

Angry? He was seething. To kill his mate **and** his best friend? "I only killed Tage because I couldn't stand the thought of him violating my beautiful sister," the killer continued. "…Do you know what it's like to love a woman, Berter?" 

"How…How dare you…" He clenched his fist so tightly that he drew blood from the back of Jerin's neck, its owner grimmacing a bit. As much as he wanted to rip into him, he couldn't budge, paralyzed with rage. 

"I love Rico with all my heart. Since our childhood, all I wanted was to be her mate someday. Fate didn't deal me that card, so I decided to mark the deck. Aah, Berter, it felt so nice to finally be inside her, thrusting as she screamed her pleasure beneath me…" 

"If she screamed, it was only because you were raping her," growled the widower. 

Jerin did not take well to the comment at all. "What do **YOU** know?!?" He hollered, leaning forward to meet Berter's face, but was promptly put back in place and slammed to the earth. 

"I know that if you hadn't hate us so, you could have had your sister..! Had you only thrown your match with Tage, you could have placed third to meet her! Everything that's happened, you've brought on yourself!" 

"No… NO!! That's not true! It's your fault!! Everything is YOUR FAULT!!" 

That was the straw that broke his back. Whipping out his knife, soiled with the blood of both Tage and Neizu, he plunged it into Berter's side, its owner crying out and relinquishing his grip on the assailant. Like a tiger, Jerin pounced quickly and without warning, going straight for the juggular and putting the other male to the dirt. He then began smashing his fists into his face mercilessly, recalling the days of Adulthood Camp and riding the nostalgic waves of the situation.   
  
With each of Jerin's attempts to cause him more pain, he recalled every single time he had wronged him, from the beatings of years past to making an attempt on his life in the Regional Championships to **killing** his wife and best friend… Did he even know what it meant to hurt? He'd find out today. 

Not giving him a chance to go any further, Berter bucked his head against his foe's, a sharp hiss escaping the latter's lips. Before Jerin could even lift a hand to comfort the pain, he plowed his fist into the murderer's face, the force sending him hard to the ground and his front teeth against the back of his throat. Jerin writhed in the dirt, his hands covering his face as he wriggled and groaned on the grass. Quickly, the Force member pounced on the disabled, successfully securing his arms and legs. The offender pulled every which way to try and escape his grip, but to no avail. "Tell me why," the Berter growled in his deepest tone. "Why did you kill them…?" 

He spat out the enamel shrapnel. "I wanted you to hurt." 

"But why? What have I ever done to you?!" 

Jerin sighed and cast his head to the sky. "…My father abandoned us when we were children." 

"What does that have to do with me?!" 

"You both share the same name." 

Berter's anger increased fiftyfold. Those years of torture at his hands, the murders of his wife and best friend, all because he had the same name as his irresponsible father..?!?! Roaring, he grasped Jerin by the neck and threw his body like a rag doll into the sky. 

"RRAAAAAH!!!" 

Forming a sizeable ki ball, he launched it rightfully to the airborne assailant, ending in a great explosion to add light to the early morning skies. As he watched Jerin's ashes fall from the air, he fell to his knees and began to cry. Even if he killed him, it wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't bring back Neizu, Tage, or his Marzipan, just another death by his hands… But he couldn't cry for long. His child— **their** child—needed to be taken care of. Berter looked at his hands, filthy with sweat and dirt and the blood of millions, and made the hardest decision of his life. 

* * *

  
  
He placed the egg, still in its space, on their stoop, knocked on the door, and flew away, just like that. His mother had answered the door, looking about the area when she discovered noone on the other side. Then, just so happening to look down did come to her surprise: an egg with note attached?   
  
_Most Respectable Nurturers,___

_My mate is dead, my best friend is dead, but my child survives. Please, I have murdered millions, and my hands are too stained to rear mine own offspring. This is the last letter I will send to you, for I am departing from this planet, though not in death. Rather, I am departing for the sake of life. If, when the child hatches, it is female, name her 'Roderin.' Otherwise, 'Lôdenrok' is suitable. Forgive me for not meeting with you in person, but I pain already for my dead wife and my motherless child. I have already sent notice to my Neizu's nurturers of the situation, so please only worry about little Roddy or Lôden for now. …Think well on me, when you will.___

_Your Most Dishonorable Son,___

_Berter_

The older female gaped. Covering her mouth and shaking her head in a devastated disbelief, she called desperately for her husband. Meanwhile, overhead, Berter prayed to his gods that his nurturers would forgive him for his actions, but they stopped listening to him a long, long time ago. 

* * *

Space was all that was left for him at that point. He returned to 79 with a heavy heart, and dragged his feet to his quarters, much in the way he did every time he returned. And as always, Recoom was the first one he ran into. 

"Hey, B!" Recoom raised his hand to greet him. "Whatcha doin' back so early? Trouble in paradise?" He laughed. Unbeknowst to the behemoth, he was treading on thin ice, and was steadily bearing more and more weight on it with each passing second. "Hey, Hey! What's the matter? Your girl givin' you the cold-shoulder? Tough break…" Recoom laughed it up again. When Berter still remained silent, he patted him on the back and said, "Aw, c'mon, buddy! Cheer up! At least you didn't get her pregnant, or maybe you did. No wonder you look so serious! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha—GRK!!!" 

The ice broke. Without warning, Berter lashed out at the behemoth, clutching him by the neck. "You LOUSE!!" He slammed his body against the corridor wall, then knelt to the floor and began pummelling Recoom's face. "How dare you!!" He roared. "She was my mate!! You know nothing of what we had!! You know NOTHING!!!" Seething and angry and yelling unintelligible things, he let his fists collide with the behemoth's face again and again and again, taking an unconscious note that his blood matched his eyes. But he didn't stop there. Oh, no, this couldn't be forgiven. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, the Tokage repeatedly smashed Recoom's face against one of the violet-tinged windows, his face molding according and leaving a few spots of blood behind. 

The members of the Ginyu Force were rarely far apart from each other. From the opposite end of the corridor came Jeice, Guldo, and the good Captain himself, back from the bar and looking for the behemoth. Soon, the sounds of fists fitting bone filled their ears, and to their surprise upon travelling further down, they found their Berter beating the crap out of Recoom. 

"BERTER!!" The Captain cried out. The Tokage looked up sharply at his superior, the behemoth still in hand, with a mixture of fear and rage on his face, mostly rage. The behemoth seized this opportunity to get away before he got a chance to attack him again. Recoom, with split gum and broken nose, knocked away the larger being's fist, losing a few hairs in the process, and dashed to join the others. Instead of lunging at him again, Berter reared his arm back, preparing to deliver a ki blast. 

"Guldo! Restrain him!" Commanded the captain. Telekinesis was indeed perfect for the situation. In the nick of time, he was rendered immobile. Try as he might, he couldn't budge, frozen in the attack position but unable to initiate. He was able to move his head just enough to look down in the frog's direction, his teeth fully bared and shot him a look that conveyed the message that if he had half the chance he'd kill him for this. The Bas-jin looked on, somewhat intimidated but remaining calm. "Berter…" Ginyu walked up to him, arms crossed and looking cross, and backhanded him across the face. If he didn't feel anything else, he certainly felt that. "What the **hell** is your problem..?" 

The Tokage hung his head in defeat. "…None of you knew…" He spoke in voice choked with sadness. "Not one of you… We were going to have… a beautiful, little girl… a fine, young son……" His tears of sorrow and regret re-familiarized themselves with his face, and the other Ginyus looked on as he wept without shame. 

Ginyu decided it best not to question what was behind his outburst, as Recoom came to him and explained that it was his fault. Something had obviously happened with his mate or his kid or whatever on Hachuurui, and when/if he was ready to divulge, he would: That's what he figured. Berter never told them, though, about that day, and even though he vowed never to return to his home planet, he did, anyway, once every year, on the anniversary of Neizu's death. He'd go back to that abandoned homestead and pay his respects, praying to deaf gods for her and Tage and even his Marzipan. To his surprise, he found several letters lying on his stoop, all from his mother, holding out hope that maybe, by chance, her son would return and happen upon them. They all held the topic of his little girl—the one he had wished for, his Roderin, to his complete happiness—on how big she had gotten and how mischievous she was, how she looked just like her father, and so on, and so forth. He had promised himself he'd write a letter to them all one day, when his hands were finally clean. But of course, that day would never come, not so long as he was in Freeza's ranks. And so, the years passed. One, two, three, four… 

* * *

"Berter! 'Ey, Berter, get up, would ya!!" 

He shot up from his bed, fist drawn back as usual. Jeice just chuckled this time, far away enough to not have to worry about a bunch of knuckles in his face. "Didn't you here the announcement?" He asked, though Berter obviously hadn't. "C'mon, we've got an assignment! Suit up!" 

"Where're we headed?" The Tokage inquired while throwing his battle jacket over his head 

"Meh. Some backwater place called Namek. Everyone else is already at the launching docks, so hustle up, brother!" 

"Wait up!" Dashing, he mounted scouter to his face and ran off to face the awaiting frontier, just as always. 

* * *

_To My Most Respectable Nurturers and the Daughter I Hope to Meet Someday,___

_Greetings, my family. It has been many a year since that day I swore never to return to the planet, but despite myself, I've been coming back regularly. Many thanks to you, mother, for writing on the status of my daughter. Father, many thanks to you for being a father to Roderin in my absence. And to you, Roderin, my little Roddy, please don't despise me too much, for there isn't a day that goes by that I don't dream of the life that I would have liked to have with you and your mother, all three of us under our planet's red sky. Please don't ever think that I abandoned you. I wanted you to be with your family—your trueblood family—and give you a chance to live. Your mother on the Light Level loves you very much, as do I. When my hands are clean, I'll come and see you. Until that day…_   
__ __

_Your Most Undeserving Offspring/Father,___

_Berter_

He was glad that this year, he was able to send a letter. After Namek, he wouldn't be sending anymore.   


  
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_FIN_

  
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